hello! i’m hopefully going to be attending uni of manchester in september for politics & modern history—and i was wondering if you had any advice? general uni advice/general degree advice/absolutely anything? i’m from the west midlands and worry i’m just going to feel terribly out of place.
Hi! That’s so funny, I chose that exact course at Manchester as my insurance! First of all, I wouldn’t worry at all about fitting in. Universities are huge, there’s a much better chance of you finding “your people” at a uni than in the smaller school you’re coming from. Lots of people put loads of pressure on first year to be an amazing time where you make loads of friends instantly, and it might not go like that straight away, but the important thing to remember is that everyone there is in the same boat. Everyone’s trying to make friends, and if it doesn’t happen overnight, don’t give up, because it will all come together. I have lots of friends at Manchester (some even in higher years on the same course as you will be I think), and they all love it. The size of the city can be intimidating, but it means there’s always stuff going on and loads of people to meet. If that’s a concern of yours, definitely get into some societies, there are loads and it’s a really easy way to meet people you already have an interest in common with. In terms of the degree itself, it’s far more independent than lots of other courses. Chances are you won’t be in uni being taught most of the time, you’ll be doing independent work. That basically just means reading. Your lecturers will set you reading lists and they’re a great place to start, I always try to do the essential reading set every week (probs 2-4 pieces) and then use the longer reading lists as starting points for essay research. It takes good time management to stay on top of things when so much of the course is independent, but they don’t expect you to be perfect at it right away, and don’t be worried about going to your lecturers for help. Some people worry about bothering them, but they’re paid to help and are happy to do it. Finally, Id hugely recommend picking modules that you think you’ll enjoy. I’m not sure how flexible the course is at Manchester, but if it’s like mine you’ll get lots of optional modules to pick from. Pick based off what you genuinely think looks interesting, there are some really niche aspects of both history and politics that I’ve discovered I love because I picked a module on a whim. It’s your degree at the end of the day, you might as well make it as enjoyable as you can. If there’s any more specific advice I can give, please feel free to message again and I’ll do my best, or even once you start (eg essay writing advice). Good luck for the next few months, you’ll have a great time wherever you end up!