Kevin Cheng- BSc. Kinesiology

Kevin Cheng is a U3 Kinesiology student. He currently serves as one of the two co-presidents of McGill Taiwanese Student Association (MTSA). He presented his research project at the National Kinesiology Undergraduate Research Conference at University of Toronto on April, 2016.

Tell us about what you have studied at McGill.

I am a 4th year BSc. Kinesiology student with a minor in Pharmacology. I transferred to the Kinesiology program in my second year from pharmacology to get more hands-on experience and to learn about human health from the multidisciplinary approach that the Kinesiology program embraces.

What are you planning to do after your graduation?

I plan to work for one year as a personal trainer to gain the relevant experiences to achieve my ultimate goal- to become a sports medicine specialist.

My goal was motivated by my series of wrist injuries back in elementary school and high school, which terminated my athletic career as a competitive badminton player. I wish not only treat athletic injuries but also to revive the dreams of athletes like myself.

During my 3 years of studies in Kinesiology, I have also learned the underappreciated effects of physical activity and healthy living on population health. In the future, I would also like to utilize my expertise to promote fitness and create a greater impact in my community as well as global health.

I have recently earned my personal trainer certification from the American College of Sports Medicine and I am extremely thrilled to move onto the next stage of my life!

What are some pros and cons about your program?

Pros: The program exposes us to not only human physiology but also sports psychology, public health, and a lot of client-interaction and coaching opportunities.

In my 3rd year, I played the role of an adapted physical activity specialist who designed a workout regime and coached children with mental disabilities.

These were all valuable experiences which taught me about myself in ways that lectures, tutorials, and labs cannot. The kinesiology curriculum encouraged and adequately prepared us to become experts of the human movement and exercise science.

Cons:

Many of the material covered in our courses do not go in depth.

The material is definitely very comprehensive and does require different sets of skills with an emphasis on real world application, but I have always felt that the professor could challenge us with more in-depth concepts by going into details.

Most regretful thing you’ve ever done at McGill

I wish I had been more involved on campus and in the community.

Looking back at my past three years at McGill, I realized that there were many clubs (eg, boxing club, debating club, quidditch team…etc) that I wish I could’ve joined. Throughout my entire undergraduate career, I have devoted the majority of my time to studying and other involvements pertinent to my future goals. In addition, there were so many courses that I wished I had taken to broaden my horizon and enhance my vision of the world (eg. Engineering and management courses). Unfortunately, most of my elective spots were used up to fulfill medical school requirements instead of the ones which I have a greater interest in.

I’m not saying that I regret and did not enjoy volunteering, research, and my studies in Kinesiology and the sciences, but I definitely wished that I was able to explore more of what the McGill and Montreal has to offer.

Proudest thing you’ve ever done at McGill.

Earlier this year,

I stepped out of my comfort zone and presented my independent research project at the National Kinesiology Undergraduate Research at the University of Toronto.

I plan to have my paper published in a scientific journal later this year. This was the product of numerous hours of hard work of myself, my PhD student supervisor, and my professor who patiently guided me through every single step of my research design, paper-writing, as well as my presentation skills and scientific thinking.

What advice would you give to younglings at McGill?

Enjoy the university experience and never be afraid to step out of your comfort zone to challenge yourself!

I have always been a shy person back in high school but I decided to join MTSA (McGill Taiwanese Students’ Association) as a First-Year Representative to get to meet new people and work on my socializing skills.

MTSA has taught me more things than I would have expected, from large-scale event coordination to approaching companies in Montreal.

Through MTSA, I was able to network with many people, build long-term friendship, and find myself the social support crucial to my university life.

University has a lot to offer but it really depends on what you want to get out of it. Four years are very short, so make it count!