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Higher education

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

Original poster

Bath University for Politics and IR

84 replies

DinkyDaisy · 26/02/2023 08:03

Some of you may recognise me from my previous threads on Surrey and Essex, both of which my ds has attended offer days for. He was impressed by both though Surrey has the edge at the moment.
He is going to Bath with his Dad next weekend. What can he expect from Bath politics and IR? What should he look out for? Is there anything about Bath University he should particularly check out?
I know Bath a favourite on Mumsnet but ds not sure yet as was so impressed by Surrey course.
He has an offer of AAB for Bath and an invitation to do their 18 hour access to Bath course before the end of July.
Any advice I can pass onto him before he goes is welcome. Thanks.

OP posts:
Original poster
DinkyDaisy · 26/02/2023 12:59

Just general points about Bath as a university would be great as well. My thread title is perhaps going to limit responses!

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Piggywaspushed · 26/02/2023 16:21

Hello dinky. There are definitely some MNers with DCs who are at Bath studying IR. Hopefully they'll see this!

TizerorFizz · 26/02/2023 18:21

Bath and Surrey are ranked very closely in the CUG (9 and 11). Essex is 37th. So if he can get to Bath or Surrey, take one of them. Bath, overall, is a higher ranked university.

The big issue is what does he actually want from the degree? I’ve seen politics and IR students really struggle to get jobs even after a masters. Very few options and few students speak other languages so they are not very international. The people I know who have got the jobs they want in the IR field speak other languages.

Even masters candidates on excellent courses are not guaranteed a job using their study area. So I would look at breadth of course and transferable skills. The business of politics as opposed to theory. It seems to be who you know, not what you know too.

Original poster
DinkyDaisy · 26/02/2023 18:29

Both Surrey and Bath have placement years which he is interested in. Surrey seemed to be quite an applied course/ not dry. More details about Surrey course on website than Bath so needs to really check Bath out carefully.

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TizerorFizz · 26/02/2023 18:43

Options change. Core should remain. Politics is pretty dry at times! I would say a year abroad is worth it. Or a placement but do you have to find it? Possibly. Never enough to go round.

Original poster
DinkyDaisy · 26/02/2023 18:48

He is quite a go getter in his way so would put the effort in for a placement. He loves his politics and having read his politics epq and been bored stupid can be pretty dry himself! He is interested in governance, voting systems etc, etc and listens to political podcasts for fun...

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TangoWhiskyAlphaTango · 26/02/2023 19:21

Hi I remember your last thread and responded there too. Dd at Bath doing Politics & IR. She was a Cambridge reject and also had offers from Notts, Cardiff and Liverpool. After offer holder days it was a two horse race for her between Notts & Bath. Nottingham came across the winner for me the HOD was amazingly enthusiastic and sold the course so so well but DD just loved Bath as a city and a campus. Dd is very academic, loves learning, thrives on pressure & just felt Baths reputation was a winner. She is very very happy there now but I feel she would've been equally happy at Nottingham. She has struggled with certain aspects of the course - not all the modules / tutors have inspired her but I think they'd get that anywhere.

For me it was always a case of it being her choice. She's a sensible kid and will do her best wherever she goes. Open days are just a taster remember and some Unis have fantastic PR. He should go with his heart.

Original poster
DinkyDaisy · 26/02/2023 19:55

His heart is with Surrey at the moment but he is going to Bath with an open mind and lots of questions.
He is going with his Dad as I need to take a step back....

OP posts:
Original poster
DinkyDaisy · 26/02/2023 19:57

I'm not sure he thrives on pressure though.. He certainly had it for epq which he did basically over an Easter holiday.. Nightmare!!! Lesson hopefully learned about time management!

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TangoWhiskyAlphaTango · 26/02/2023 20:15

Dd hasn't found Bath to be too much pressure, far from it in fact. She struggled to adjust to the pace after the pressure of A-levels and it took a while for the academic side of things to start slot in for her. I think she is getting into it now but it has been patchy with strikes, reading weeks & Xmas break. She is the sort to do a fair amount of learning and reading around subject off her own back though. She hated the law module she chose and felt the lecturer just didn't engage well. She loves the smaller group sessions and gets a lot from them.

The one thing she has said is all of her group in halls work really hard though (she is in a large flat of 21) when exams were on nobody was out partying and I think she appreciates this. They seem to enjoy their down time but have the hard working ethic she has - not sure if that's just her friends though or students on the whole there. She seems to have found the right mix of work and enjoyment and I'm really happy she's settled so well, I can relax! I hope your son finds his right place too it can be a very tough time making such huge choices but he sounds like he will thrive wherever he ends up choosing.

TizerorFizz · 26/02/2023 22:35

Contact time varies between universities. How they teach varies too. Usually 6-10 contact time plus then your reading and independent work. Placements are not guaranteed at Bath nor study abroad.

Original poster
DinkyDaisy · 27/02/2023 05:52

I don't think placements are guaranteed at any university but I think Surrey and Bath supportive in this area. Only looked at website for this at Bath so area ds will ask questions about. Lot of emphasis on this area on Surrey offer day and on the website.

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TizerorFizz · 27/02/2023 10:03

Just to say a friend’s Dc was drawn in by placement “offer” university trumpeted. RG and equivalent to ones mentioned here. So much competition meant nothing available. There’s a difference between being supportive and students actually getting something. It’s definitely contacts that make the difference. Joining a party and being active helps. It’s also important to plot a career early snd get the cv going. If he wants to teach voting systems (I remember being a whizz on this at A level) great, but it’s not really practical politics or cv worthy for general employment. I tend to think with politics, that as long as you do a decent degree you can succeed if you get a toe on the door. The Foreign Office is notoriously hard to get into.

TangoWhiskyAlphaTango · 27/02/2023 14:47

Re placements, DD a has a new boyfriend in the year above her doing Computer Science. He is finding it very very difficult to secure a placement, in fact only one of his friends has one so far & they're off to America. It's fiercely competitive to find a decent placement even with support.

Original poster
DinkyDaisy · 27/02/2023 15:59

That is perhaps something he can compare with Surrey...
Needs to do homework on this...

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TangoWhiskyAlphaTango · 27/02/2023 16:41

At the open day for Bath they did do ping talk about placements all sounded very exciting. They did however stress it is up to the student to find it but they will support as much as possible. It will be interesting to see if DD manages to find one for this year. I think Bath have been doing them for many years and supposedly have strong links to industry (it was a selling feature at open day) but we shall see how it pans out.

Original poster
DinkyDaisy · 27/02/2023 16:56

I got the impression both Bath and Surrey are strong on placements.
Good luck to your dd Tango in getting one!

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Moveforward · 27/02/2023 17:04

When they say placement ask how many actually got one last year.

My friends DD found out that she had to get the placement and it was very difficult. She got one - just 3 in her year did.

The other person I know who did a 4 year course with placement failed to get one and ended up completing the 3 year degree instead. Is was the norm for his cohort nd nothing like that was said in open days.

Moveforward · 27/02/2023 17:06

@DinkyDaisy

Strong on placements was the impression my friends had too! Ask.them for actual numbers!

Piggywaspushed · 27/02/2023 17:08

It's Bath's USP. You apply for 4 year sandwich courses. If you can't get a placement they swap you to the 3 year course but they have always been set up for the sandwich degree approach and basically everyone secures a placement.

Original poster
DinkyDaisy · 27/02/2023 17:08

Mmm... Will get him to ask for numbers.
Also, may need to check with Surrey through their chat or email.

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Moveforward · 27/02/2023 17:09

I've asked one of my.colleagues about the "help" they received. They were all given a list of employers potentially offering placements and a tutorial on applying.

Problem was, a lot of other universities had similar lists so the competition was high.

Original poster
DinkyDaisy · 27/02/2023 17:10

Hope you are right Piggy!
Ds will try hard but hope not too impossible!

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Piggywaspushed · 27/02/2023 17:22

I think the problem now is that more and more unis offer placement years etc. Bath used to be an outlier but now is, yes, competing against other unis.

They are all trying to get their employability stats up, I suspect as students look at this more now when putting in applications. Also, placements are becoming more popular as years abroad begin to decline post Covid and Brexit.

TizerorFizz · 27/02/2023 18:20

Bath says it’s up to the student to secure the placement. They are no different from any other university in that they cannot guarantee it. Looking at their contacts, some aren’t really P&IR destinations. I imagine all the management students want plenty in the list too. I wonder if they give more help to the students with the highest marks if others get demoted?

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