"Use your optional modules to make your course as varied as possible."
Philippa Rowney
Age: 21
Course: Sociology (third year)
“I chose Nottingham because it was high up in the league tables, and it was also the most open campus I could find.
I took English, Spanish and economics at A level and although I enjoyed them, I didn’t want to continue any of them and limit my options. One of the reasons I like sociology is because of how broad it is – I’ve been able to study social history and politics modules, for example. Plus, you can choose modules from outside the School and give them a sociological slant. One of my favourite modules was War and Peace, because the teacher was just so knowledgeable. In fact, the lecturers have usually written several books about their subjects, so you can be sure they know what they’re talking about.
There’s a lot of scope for independent study on this course, and you can focus on the things you’re interested in. The libraries really help – the laptop hire service means you don’t have to lug yours in every day, and the group work rooms are useful because we do quite a few group projects.
I’m the sports secretary for the Sociology Society, and I’m also affiliated with the East Midlands Universities Air Squadron, which means I help organise balls and take part in training camps. I love Nottingham as a city, too – you get such a large range of clubs, from drum and bass to complete cheese.
I’m not really sure what I want to do after I graduate but when I look at the breadth of my degree, I know I’m well-placed to go into different careers. It teaches you lots of transferable skills, like communicating, giving presentations and working independently.”