Deciding on a university course involves negotiating a web of interacting questions and requires careful research, consultation and personal reflection. We often talk about ‘choosing a university’ without taking into account that, as a student, your interaction is largely with a department or a small group of departments. There is no university, no matter how prestigious, that does not have weaker departments, and no unfashionable university that does not have good departments. Even the most illustrious university is not the best across all its teaching provision. In addition, not everyone is suited to the varying environments provided by ancient universities, civic/redbrick institutions, campus universities and small institutions.
To start, let’s concentrate on the issue of choosing a subject. Note that although this is a magazine devoted to history it would be quite wrong to suggest that a history degree should be the priority choice. The first question to ask yourself is, ‘what do I really want to study?’ It may be that outside pressures try to suggest a particular subject area should be at the top of your list because it leads to social status and/or better job prospects. A discussion of careers for history graduates was explored in Millie Tissut’s article in Modern History Review a couple of years ago and is worth looking at as a starting point, if such issues are on your mind (Volume 25, Number 2, November 2022).
Your organisation does not have access to this article.
Sign up today to give your students the edge they need to achieve their best grades with subject expertise
Subscribe
