BA (Hons) History and Politics
I was interested in both history and politics when I was in school
I didn't want to pick one and not the other to study at university, so a joint honours course was perfect for me. I really like the flexibility in joint honours that Oxford Brookes offers, being able to take more modules in one subject than the other is a great option. I was able to take more history modules and drop a few of the politics modules, which suited me better in my final year. You are also able to choose modules which complement both sides of your degree so that you're not just doing everything in isolation.
I loved the political theory modules and anything to do with ideology
I took a Power and Dominion module in my first year, which covered the history of the different ideologies and where they came from. In my second year, I was able to take political theory modules, which helped build my knowledge of ideologies further. It's really valuable to be able to take insights from various areas and apply them to different modules. I love how well the modules complement each other and how I can use skills from one side of my degree to enhance the other.
The number one thing about Brookes is the tutor - student relationships
The staff at Oxford Brookes are amazing. They’re always available and they really want to see you do well with your degree. The biggest thing I regret from my first year is not going to more tutor meetings. The staff are there to help you, from the module leaders and the seminar leaders, who are available during their office hours throughout the week, to the student support coordinators and of course my academic advisor. I've gone and annoyed them so much with all my questions, but they're always happy to hear from you and offer advice and support.
I found talking in seminars very intimidating at the start
There are only about 20 people in the seminars, and voicing your opinions can be a bit intimidating. That's definitely something that I've gotten better at as my degree has progressed, not just speaking up in seminars but also clearly explaining my argument. I’ve also realised that if you've got a question, the people beside you have probably got a very similar question or someone else in the room is likely to be able to help you understand the topic. It’s great to be able to speak up and ask questions in a way that’s accessible to everyone on the course and at the same level as the academics.
We've had guidance on life after university
I was lucky to get the chance to go on a trip to Brussels, where we looked at careers in both the EU Parliament and EU Commission. I have also attended career events hosted by the faculty. There has been lots of information about the different paths available to you after your degree and my academic advisor has been particularly helpful with this. I'm hoping to pursue a master's and eventually a PhD in politics with an end goal of working in a political advisory role.