International Relations/Politics 2024

[Calmmumnot]

Has anyone applied and received offers in International Relations/Politics? where are the offers from? Thanks

I know options in Europe are more limited and that is really sad (I am a big Remainer), but the funding stream for nonEU destinations was not affected by Brexit. There are many wonderful options in the Americas, Australasia and Asia. Funding is favourable, too. At my place if you go for the whole year you get a huge fees discount and I think that is typical. I hope your DD finds a good placement, @Joolseye , in Europe or elsewhere.

I think that’s a bit of a generalisation! There are plenty of very able students who actively choose anthropology and sociology etc because they find them genuinely fascinating and relevant to today’s society.

Yes but quite a few look at the grades required. For History they be higher for example.

Has anyone else had experience of being offered another course than the one applied for?

Simply answering this question. As the thread is about IR, I doubt if anyone is interested in a debate about Anthropology or Archeology. Personally I would find an anthropology degree fascinating.

My youngest switched to Social policy. Currently on placement in a UK government department with some Bath SP with placement students. She says Bath students are impressive (rates Durham students too).

I'd look at the module catalogue in detail. DD has a friend who does IR (will go into military/politics) who would not have touched SP.

DD was also offered Social Policy but wasn’t keen.

@HewasH2O It’s really about degree programmes that haven’t filled up or are less competitive. Thats why this degree has been offered. It’s not about what you find fascinating. I also assume you don’t need a career on the back of it. Many do trade course for more prestigious uni though.

It’s all about right fit isn’t it. If you are not interested in the alternative then it’s possibly going to be a slog. However year abroad is offered on many courses and places like Maastricht do masters. I think getting a placement or work enhances the cv when it comes to getting a job though. Thousands have similar degrees so you have to stand out. Not easy.

But a course in anthropology or archeology HASN'T been offered, so nobody needs to debate whether or not these degrees are somehow less worthy. Universities do offer places on alternative courses. There you go, query answered.

Yes but they offer ones that aren’t full. So students have to decide if the uni matters more or the course matters more. The subjects I mentioned were just examples where uni mattered more if student didn’t get first choice or were not likely to get the grades for their no 1 choice . It’s just being pragmatic.

Can I pick your brains on something - as parents of A level students please? My son has dyslexia and so gets to use a computer for his exams. He really doesn't like the keyboards they provide for exams at school - he's used to a mac laptop which feels very different and which has a different layout.

School are quoting the JCQ regulations in their reluctance to let him use a different keyboard (I've offered to buy a new packaged one for him which clearly will not have been 'tampered' with).

I'm minded to be persistent but perhaps I'm fighting a losing battle? Has anyone got any information in this area or could signpost me somewhere?

Thanks :)
I'll also post this under the secondary education thread but thought I'd come here to those I have chatted with before first

Hi, @Tenpastseven

I teach in HE and we are self governing for issues like this. So my idea is merely based in logic, but I don’t think it could hurt.

The school’s hands are tied. JCQ’s are not. Could you approach JCQ with a plan to lodge a new, wrapped keyboard with the Head of School until the first exam and have it returned to a secure location after each exam by a proctor? Perhaps other MumsNetters could assess this idea -I don’t want to steer you wrong but this seems to me to be a reasonable need.

Thanks @poetryandwine

On the other thread I posted on, I was kindly given the link to JCQ regulations and there is nothing specified about the type of keyboard https://www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/ICE_23-24_Final-March-2024.pdf (page 33 if you are interested or if any one else comes across this thread at another time and might be interested).

I tried to call JCQ but they won't engage with parents or students - only schools themselves.

I like the idea of a wrapped keyboard returned to the school for safekeeping between exams. I shall suggest that and see where I get to. And it is good to know you are self governing around this. I shall persist. He's only had one set of exams in the rooms with those keyboards and I don't think that suffices in terms of practice. As I say, the feel is very different to what he's used to and the layout also differs.

Thanks, @Tenpastseven . I did not realise that parents can’t engage with JCQ. I am glad you are presumably pursuing this with the school.

I have a Mac laptop and aMac desktop at home, and a different keyboard on my desktop at work. I don’t have dyslexia or a SEN and I dislike changing over to my work keyboard! It is a minor annoyance but I can see it would be serious if I had dyslexia.

Best wishes to your DS

I wouldn't take another course option unless they really want to do it. Lots of unis do this for less popular courses and students think they can swap once there- they can't.
Offers for IR have been so high!

Well that's the A levels done then. Just to wait for results day now. DS has his deferred place at Leeds. Hopefully he'll get the grades.

He says if he does well enough he'll reapply to his first choice Bristol. In order to do that do you think he'd need to 'exceed' the grade requirement again or do grades in hand get treated differently? Not that I'm making any presumptions. He says it's really hard to predict what grades he'll get.

On that note, did anyone else do OCR RS/Philosophy? He said the 2nd paper was REALLY hard.

So where are they all going?

York here. I know of a few applicants who got their first choice with missed grades.

DD going to Aber to do French and International Relations

Must admit I did push her towards the language option a bit because 1. She does language learning in her spare time so obviously enjoys it and 2, she qualifies for an Irish passport so combining fluency in a European language AND the ability to work freely in Europe should be quite a useful combination to offer an employer. So I do feel a bit pushy Mum here!

However I'm sure if she's not enjoying the language bit she can switch to just doing Single Honours IR or even Politics since the modules for the first and second semesters are very similar.

She applied in Early Clearing as a post A Level student and I will admit I had a twinge when I saw Liverpool Uni ended up offering the same course in Clearing for the same grades as she has. But realistically, knowing her personality, she'll do better at a place where she's actually wanted than knowing she only got in because the uni was desperate to fill the numbers.

@HPFA Liverpool isn’t better. 21 for French in CUG rankings. Aber 22nd. For Politics, (they don’t list IR) it’s 32 for Aber and 35 for Liverpool. So both very similar. Just whether DC prefers big city or not really.

Off to KCL to do War Studies. Congrats to all.

@Calmmumnot Living the dream! Hope they enjoy London.

@HPFA I've never heard a bad word about Aber. Beautiful in the summer, but get her a good waterproof jacket for the other 51 weeks of the year! DH did a post grad there

@HewasH2O

Yes, I found a Reddit thread about essentials for Aberystwyth and every one mentioned a winter coat. I have a ski jacket that I picked up second hand which is the warmest thing I've ever owned so I'll pass that on.

Someone from the department rang her to say welcome and ask if she had any questions so it seems like a place that's really going to look after them.

DH’s cousin’s son started at Aber. Insurance choice and hated it. Just too quiet and a huge mistake. I think it very much depends on personality and what you like about a uni and importantly, where it is. First choice was Nottingham. Thats why some people are better off accepting an alternative course at a uni they really really want instead of going elsewhere and finding it totally wrong for them and ending up with lots of problems to sort out.

Great minds @HPFA ! I've dropped you a PM