Uni of Manchester - History

[IHaveRunOutOfIdeas]

Does anyone know how the course works please?

All we know is that there is 1 mandatory unit and lots of other optional ones, around 20 credits each.

When does DC need to choose these units, what happens if not enough choose the same unit?

I want to start looking at what books will be needed so we can start buying but at the minute we know nothing.

I don’t know about this course, but on any course with optional modules, there is always the possibility that some will not run. This happened to DD with Eng lit.

So it is wise to have a few backups if there is a choice. Uni will probably ask for first, second and third choices.

I wouldn’t worry too much about buying books just yet. It may be that the uni offers the opportunity to buy secondhand from former students; or the books may not actually be needed as a purchase (eg you can get what you need in the library; books are expensive).

Also you say "we" a lot – unless there is some SEN issue, this is on your DC, not you. They choose, they buy what's needed (or borrow or share). Honestly DD did a module on Victorian writers and they read Oliver Twist – everyone in the seminar was comparing how old (and secondhand) their edition was! DD had my copy dating from about 1980 so she may have won :)

My daughter's studying a joint honours at Manchester including history and she's not needed to buy a single book. Our son studied maths at a different university and didn't buy any books either, I don't think anyone does these days, they access them online, through the uni.

Thank you.

I say we as we were looking together at what the units were and were talking about how they may work across the timetable. He asked me whether it would be one at a time or alongside each other and what if nobody else chooses, hence my question here.

I will have no say in what is picked, he knows this and wouldn’t expect my input at all. I will be buying the books if he needs them as he gets minimal loan.

I am hoping there is an option for second hand, will definitely be looking out for them.

The recommended reads for the modules all seem to be available online which he will start to bookmark.

Sorry to echo a previous poster, but, again you have stated 'we were looking' etc. I understand it's great to be involved and be interested, but I think you are getting anxious and making him anxious. Teen Boys are notoriously bad organisers, yes, but you have to learn to ask him the right questions, rather and sit there and look at it with him ( unless he has asked you to of course) Uni works very differently to how it did when parents attended. Guide him to work it out on his own. In the long run this is for the best. So many resources are online, students do not have a shelf of textbooks anymore.

He did ask me, I have one already at uni who needed hardly any help. Asked me nothing other than which soap powder was best.

2 starting this year who have both shared openly with each other and me about what’s happening and asking me all sorts of questions. Maybe it’s because there are 2 going this year and there’s a common ground that’s it being spoken about more, I don’t know. 1 DC has already been given some books that she has been told she needs and the other is probably feeling less organised. DS didn't need any books just a laptop with certain spec and loads of other tech bits.

Don't worry about getting books, wait till modules are confirmed and then you get the reading lists - most will be in the uni library anyways.

Also the module choices will happen when they do online registration (that involves saying how they'll pay fees, doing a photo for their card, doing all the details, forms) and also choosing modules. If they have some core ones these will already be there, and then they'll be a list with info about each module (including how it's assessed, so maybe 70% coursework, 30% exam as an example, also the amount of lectures and seminars etc). Then they'll pick any modules they want to make a total of 120 credits, and ask for approval from the department. Most people will get all the ones they want, if they've done it right, they may day for one module there's no more space and then you may have to change one.

They'll also be (in the week before they start and the first 2ish weeks) - module add/drop, where you'll get a chance to change modules maybe. In the week before you get there, and freshers etc, you'll likely get the reading list. Reading weeks tend to be in the middle of the semester, so October/November (and you tend to have no lectures or seminars that week, especially for something like history, because the reading will be heavy)

Also most unis will have an online library as well, to access reading lists and textbooks etc. For history it's less likely you'll have textbooks, more that you'll be reading other historians work, and also that you'll be looking at journal articles, other historians research in journals etc. You'll also have other online resources, and slides and recommendations from lecturers to use. I recommend letting your DC do as much as possible themselves, even if they're confused - encourage them to go to professional services for their department and ask, ask the lecturer they have, ask their personal tutor (will be a lecturer in their department who they see every so often for advice on anything - they can always see them more than the scheduled meetings or even email for a quick question). It's good to teach self-reliance, and to use the support systems available to them.

They will have really detailed inductions as well during freshers week, explaining all of the digital tech, and how things work, how to find your lecturers emails, where to find professional service staff for each department, school and faculty. So that will teach them all they need to know - encourage them to make good notes during that and use that as their guide. Also they'll have a uni website/portal which will just be for students, staff etc (separate to the public website) and it will have lots of detailed information as well, to help them.

Thank you, this is really helpful.

If he only has one core/mandatory module, he will pick another 2 for Autumn and 3 for Spring. He will then have these confirmed and then they'll be added to his timetable - it may take a while so be patient, it may be the week before he moves in or even during freshers.

When he selects modules, I'm guessing it will have information on the amount of lecutes of seminars across the semester. So maybe 20 hours of lectures and 10 hours of seminars as an example. That will be split over the weeks so would be 2h of lectures a week (likely not together, so 1h at one time and 1h at another time) and then the seminar separately as well. For something like history it's likely 9/10 contact hours a week (so hours where you have direct teaching, somewhere to be etc).

When does he actually start (not freshers but actual teaching)? That will be a good guide for when his whole timetable will be available, he'll have to chose modules first though and have it confirmed. Some modules may be different in their configuration (as in the amount of lectures and seminars they have).

People will definitely choose his because they cannot have 3 modules available and only 2 be filled - if that happened some people would get their choices rejected and they'd be forced to do modules 3. But everyone will have different interests and all the modules will have lots of people. For lectures it may be the whole module cohort, but for seminars they'll be split into different groups of max 20ish people. Some units will have a 2h seminar which is at once and then maybe a 1 h lecture sometime else in the week. It's so different for each module and uni, so he'll just have to wait and see.

I see this jump on, on a lot of uni threads about "you should not be involved, your young person should do it all stop pandering to them etc etc'
It's actually a huge life change and some young people have mental health issues or may be more naturally anxious or you know what they might just really get on well with their parents and be planning the move out together.

It doesn't necessarily mean parents will be breathing down their neck once they have gone!
My DD has sorted a lot on her own but also asked me to look at the accomodation choices with her and chatted about other things she will need to do like joining th gym and registering with the GP.

What are we to do? Say no everytime the want to chat about things do it yourself?
Jeez anyway rant over 🤣

@ilovebagpuss Agreed. They are going into a whole new situation, having their mum ask here for information is completely normal and to be expected.

It's different when you're doing the work for them, helping write their essays etc - totally weird and unacceptable.

Thank you for this. I did actually wonder if I had been doing something wrong even though I know I haven’t!

I have just been reading a thread where someone’s DS was being extremely challenging and posters are saying to stop contact or not let him move back home and potentially make himself homeless, and while I did agree this behaviour was brought on my himself, I can’t imagine my 18 year olds knowing what the hell to do if they were homeless! Not everyone’s circumstances are the same and do you know what, I love the relationship I have with them.

No, I didn’t mean that we should say no at all. In fact my DD had quite a lot of support from me as she has MH issues and is ND. I did mention SEN in my post. Of course it’s fine to talk things through, but the OP talked about "I want to buy books" and "we know nothing" which just seemed odd. IMO sounding board for chat = fine; getting involved in picking modules and choosing what books to buy = too much, unless there are separate issues of anxiety etc.

Anyway the Op has clarified and it sounds as though it will be easy enough to sort out. To reiterate OP – apart from actual texts studied (which for DD were novels and poetry and pretty cheap secondhand) DD got through three years of a research-heavy degree using the library and a host of online sources. Much easier tbh to find a reference in a pdf than in a book.

DS got an A in history. He would get laughed at if he handed in something I had written 😂.

I have a SIL doing essays for her son (already a 2nd yr) because he has an unusual form of dyslexia. It won't help him in the long term.

Yeah, maybe I should have worded my post with a bit more context, my apologies.

I was under the impression that this subject would have more texts to read than what the others have, and I know they can be expensive. I was hoping to get on Vinted and find them cheaper as I am the one who will be paying, but of this isn’t possible yet, or even necessary at all then fair enough, but as a household, we are just trying to be organised.

It’s a shame he doesn’t get the support he needs through the university.

Mine essay attempt would be like… Once upon a time, there was a big bad man …. 😂

No need to apologise @IHaveRunOutOfIdeas it was my misreading as well.

I do think he won’t need to actually own that many books. DD's texts were literally novels, mostly bought bc then she could annotate, or as I say snaffled from my bookshelves :) but they were v cheap. Actual reference books which I imagine would be needed for history would be in the library or in the case of articles, online. DD wrote 10,000 words on Jane Austen and didn't buy a single book (I mean she already had the novels she was writing about but otherwise used library and online resources).

Of course it's a big change and they'll need support, so I'm not saying just say no every time. But they need to get more used to perhaps emailing the lecturer or going to the library staff (who are always very helpful so I recommend asking them about assignments etc) or going to their personal tutor. Universities have good support systems and guidance but you need to work with them, it's good practice to perhaps get them to look at their emails, or go to the professional services staff for their School or department. Get them to use the various online resources/platforms and slides and recommendations from lecturers to use.

Obviously it may be different for those with MH challenges or SEN, but they'll be lots of information on the uni portal etc, get them to get accquinated with having a look there, seeing how to do x. Or even just asking someone for help, can be good practice in general, as much as they can do themselves they should, it doesn't have to all be at once, it can be gradual but it's useful for them, even if they do have MH issues or SEN, even getting them to know who at disability services to go talk to can be good or practicing asking for a new accommodation etc. They may go over some of it with you but then maybe get them to send the email themselves. They're likely a little bit away from you and so actually it will make their life and yours easier, if they do as much as they can by themselves. Filling in forms for a GP, they should be able to navigate using the NHS app (if they have it) to find the documents showing dates of when they got vaccines or ntoing any conditions.

On books @IHaveRunOutOfIdeas , honestly even though they'll be plenty of reading to do for history, they'll be lots of copies of them in the library, they'll also have access to an online library, they'll be able to get free access to lots of journal articles and historical research, so they won't need to buy anything. If they want to they can, but it likely won't be a textbook - that info will come from the lecturers and seminars (because they're won't be textbooks, in the same way as GCSE/A-level, as the uni create the module and sometimes depending on which lecturer they have things can also be different).