Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

History/ politics Uni recommendation please

53 replies

meridithssister · 21/09/2016 21:43

Can anyone help please? I am on the Uni open day circuit with DS. He is struggling with his short list for UCAS form. If I tell you want he wants can you tell me where he can find it please?

He liked the library at York, the accommodation at Royal Holloway, (the beautiful building with the turrets!) the course structure at Brunel. He didn't like anything about LSE.
So far, York is his favourite but he wasn't sure he liked the course structure. (I can't expand on that as I am out of my depth here)
We are looking at Warwick on Saturday.
Any ideas?

OP posts:

WrongEndoftheTelescope · 23/09/2016 10:48

He is torn because he is very interested in the study abroad option, which Brunel do in spades but as a possible AAA star student it wouldn't be the best degree of you see what I mean

Most degree programmes which are not specifically programmed with a year abroad can accommodate a semester or a year away on exchange. Most universities have university-wide schemes, as well as specific degree programmes.

I think it's a bad choice to pick Brunel solely on its year abroad option. The students there have a very different intake/achioevement profile and he won't be challenged by his peers in the way that he would at York, or Manchester, Durham, Birmingham ( where History research topped the country in the recent REF) or similar places.

goodbyestranger · 23/09/2016 10:54

Seconded.

Also, aren't these years away often merely a marketing tool without adding a great deal of value?

LightTheLampNotTheRat · 23/09/2016 10:59

Scotland has excellent universities. Edinburgh, St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen all good for history and politics. St Andrews offers international relations specifically, alongside history.

WrongEndoftheTelescope · 23/09/2016 11:03

He liked the library at York, the accommodation at Royal Holloway, (the beautiful building with the turrets!) the course structure at Brunel. He didn't like anything about LSE.
So far, York is his favourite but he wasn't sure he liked the course structure

Founders (RHUL) is - from student accounts of it) quite inconvenient to live in, although last time I stayed there, the bathrooms seemed to be OK. But it was for a conference so maybe they gave us the nicest rooms/wings. MOst students live in the new accommodation which is closer to things like bars & shops (such as they are at RHUL) and the Sports Centre.

Course structure: I think he needs to try to identify what it is that he doesn't 'like' - most course structures are pretty much of a muchness. There are certain core things that all Hist/Pol - humanities generally - students need to encounter. York is an excellent university with some wonderful, world-leading historians, and an ethos of all staff teaching (no, I don't work for York, but I know a couple of its Hums/Arts departments well as external etc).

Original poster

meridithssister · 23/09/2016 15:55

Thank you for your replies, he has some good points there to think about.

OP posts:

FatherJemimaRacktool · 23/09/2016 17:31

If he's interested in London, UCL would be a good choice.

Is he interested in History or Politics or History&Politics? If History & Politics, King's College do a joint hons History& International Relations programme which is run out of the War Studies dept (there's also a History&War Studies degree). I'm pretty sure both the UCL and King's degrees ask for AAA.

Aberystwyth politics isn't what it used to be, I've heard from reliable sources.

Coconutty · 23/09/2016 19:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

goodbyestranger · 23/09/2016 19:38

Fair to say I could well be behind the times with Aberystwyth.

bojorojo · 23/09/2016 19:41

I do not think Brunel is highly regarded for History and Politics. As I know Uxbridge fairly well, I cannot imagine studying and living at university there. It is just so dull, dull, dull!

Don't choose by accommodation - he nay bot get it. Don't choose by one lecturer - he might be on research leave and not be teaching anyone or, even worse, have a new job!

Choose somewhere with plenty going on that makes student life enjoyable, a course that offers what he would like to study and remember that it is highly unlikely an employer will ever ask what modules he studied. It makes not one jot of difference, except to the student. What sort of job might he want? Reputation of the university for the degree he wants is important, more important than the modules. I would look at, in no particular order, Exeter, York, Warwick, Durham, Nottingham, Bristol, Newcastle, Kings and anywhere else in the top 10 for this subject. I suspect Brunel is not there.

LIZS · 23/09/2016 19:42

I doubt you'd go to the expense and time of commuting out to RH each day unless West London based. Most of the accommodation is away from the iconic building but politics teaching takes place there.

annandale · 23/09/2016 19:44

I think Warwick and York are great choices and picking by the library is good for History IMO.

bojorojo · 23/09/2016 19:55

A library is only as good as the books in it and, sometimes, there are not enough of them for popular modules. Some university libraries get crowded too! That is a very narrow selection criteria!

BasiliskStare · 23/09/2016 20:09

So just a small point , if he wants to get away from home , as others have said , staying in London at "mates rates" may lead to a different overall university experience. London won't ever be cheap (and some of the private halls are eye wateringly expensive ) , but if you live outside the M25 then you are in the mix for accommodation for King's and certainly for UCL. DS had both on his list (straight history). That said a friend of his who tried for Cambridge is very happy at York. King's , Durham , UCL seemed to be popular. The son of a friend of mine looked at Brunel but for a very specific (and more vocational course) for which is was renowned . Not saying anything that hasn't been said but hope it helps.

Original poster

meridithssister · 23/09/2016 22:46

For the points on accomodation, you are of course right, he wouldn't be guaranteed founders at RH, it's just a point he liked. He would be able to stay in Egham within reasonable walking distance. We would struggle (in fact be unable) to support him to live in London if not in halls so he would have to compromise on that. He is the first true academic in our family so I am very grateful for all your comments as we are relying on outside sources for advice who are biased towards their own university, or in his college lecturers case what reflects best on them.
He is looking at the joint history and politics courses as he cannot yet decide between the two, although at York he came away wanting to do just Politics.
In terms of careers, he would dearly love to open a museum dedicated to post 1960s British history or become Prime Minister running a Labour Party government.

OP posts:

Gormless · 24/09/2016 09:35

University of Birmingham History department came out top nationally in the Research Excellence Framework exercise a couple of years ago (and will retain that position until the next exercise around 2020) and has benefitted from lots of investment in new academic posts and a very successful student welfare service. The university has also just opened a beautiful new state of the art library with a new sports centre about to open too. Worth checking out!

Horsemad · 24/09/2016 10:37

B'ham is a gorgeous campus, I loved it when DS1 looked around 2yrs ago.

DS2 is going to their Open Day next month, so maybe their History Dept will help make up his mind?!

GeorginaWorsley · 24/09/2016 11:39

DD hoping to do history and politics and we went to York last weekend.
She loved it.
She's going to see Warwick too.
We went to Loughborough yesterday but she wasn't as keen.

bojorojo · 24/09/2016 16:47

People become MPs from all walks of life but getting a job as a political researcher and having a very active student union and debating society is vital. Museum work is down to applying for a job after leaving university and getting experience. Both these are a bit dreamy and studenty. What he will actually do may be neither of these.

However, taking his aspirations at face value, being involved with the Labour Party and currently Momentum will be everything so head for a socialist city such as Sheffield or Liverpool where there are activists. Egham and Uxbridge will be pretty low on that radar, especially Egham! What is in his degree really will not matter if he wants to be a Labour politician! I think the location of the university will matter though if he wants to get active!

hellsbells99 · 24/09/2016 17:01

I think Liverpool is the place to be this week for all the labour activists

Original poster

meridithssister · 24/09/2016 19:46

Warwick uni open day today, and that ticked every box....except that he preferred the politics and international something course.
London is falling down the list rapidly the more he sees of living away independently.
He is going to visit Birmingham next month on the advice of his Politics lecturer.

OP posts:

LooseAtTheSeams · 24/09/2016 20:30

I'd definitely look at Birmingham for the reasons given earlier - it is a fantastic campus and has a very strong reputation for research. I stayed there for a conference a couple of years ago and the student accommodation seemed to be pretty good. I'm also thinking if he liked the campus at York he's going to like Birmingham but to be honest, York is a great choice as well!

scaryteacher · 27/09/2016 10:11

Ds loved living in Founders at RHUL, and is just starting his third year in History there. He loves it, really happy, engaged with the course, and hopes to do his MA there next year. Accommodation costs not too bad for years two and three...am paying £365 per month for a room in a shared house within 15 minutes amble of college.

GraceGrape · 27/09/2016 10:21

I am a politics grad from Birmingham. Back in the day, the political science department was very highly-rated, but that was some time ago! However, Birmingham has an excellent library and very vibrant student life.

BerylThePeril44 · 30/09/2016 20:38

Son at Sheffield studying history and politics. Third year. Loving it. Very involved in political scene. Lots of opportunities in such a big northern city as previous poster said...and a brilliant uni x

GorillaGirl · 30/09/2016 22:12

My son just gained a First in History and Politics at Notts this year. He loved it and so did I every time I visited. The campus is the most beautiful in the UK in a fantastic park and they are nice to students in the city, which is a compact, not expensive and not too big city. He made lots of great friends from all over the world and felt challenged as well as being able to succeed as he worked hard but also had lots of extra curricular stuff going on! All in all a success and worth looking at. Keep us posted. My daughter is reading Religion and Politics and Society in Leeds and loves Leeds, campus is near the city and she also loves the course. Lots to do in the city as a bit bigger than Nottingham but still the varied and exciting mix of students from all over the world.

Flip

1 2 3