SOAS University of London Applicant Thread 2016

@SOAS Student Helper I'm an international applicant and my A Level result was out today. I had an offer for law with 3 As as a conditions but I unfortunatelygot AABB. Is there any chance I might still get in?

Reply 601

xxvine

19

Original post by JustLikeAPill

@SOAS Student Helper I'm an international applicant and my A Level result was out today. I had an offer for law with 3 As as a conditions but I unfortunatelygot AABB. Is there any chance I might still get in?

That's real high
You should get in easily

Reply 602

JustLikeAPill

3

Original post by xxvine

That's real high
You should get in easily

I hope so

Reply 603

Zakriah

13

Hi Lizzi, I'm starting South Asian Studies in September and it isn't something i even knew about one year ago so i can't say i have a deep passion for it, perhaps more of a great interest. I think for such a little heard of, specialist subject, passion may take time to develop because it would be so different to anything we have ever studied. When i visited SOAS to see the department, there were only around 5 undergrads and the rest were postgrads. Most mature students are found in postgrad when they have done another subject and now want to specialise in a geographical location. I believe what i have mentioned about South Asian Studies is probably the same for South East Asian Studies. Both courses also offer a year abroad if you study a language so that is an added bonus. Anyway, enjoy your summer and don't overthink what it will be like, it might stress you out because there are so many different modules you can do from different departments i.e Art of Japan, Economics of China, History of Burma and you will also have the opportunity to specialise in one country if you wish to :smile:

Original post by thelizzister

hi, i was given an offer south east asian studies, i wanted to know would it be worth taking it even if you didn't have a deep passion for the subject but just an interest? And how do current students find the subject? are people who take part in the course all mature students or are there students who previously had no expertise in the area?

thanks!

Reply 604

Zakriah

13

Original post by thelizzister

Hi Zakriah,

Thanks for responding to my message, I still feel uncertain about this course as I feel that I may struggle with the languages since i have no prior knowledge in any of them, and i'm unsure of what career path it may lead me to. if you don't mind me asking are you coming straight form college?

I had wanted to originally take part in a geography degree but as I did not achieve the grades I was still offered south-east asian studies , Luckily i can see some similarities between the two.

As you may know more about SOAS than me, how much support to they offer with the content, and with looking for employment opportunities?

Hey Lizzi,

A language is encouraged at SOAS because it fits in with their whole ethos about seeing the world from different perspectives and immersing yourself in other cultures etc As a result, a lot of attention and support is given to language students and they don't expect you to have prior knowledge of the language. They would assess your language skills at the start and if you are a complete beginner they would put you in a 'GCSE level' group which is the basics and over the three years you would work your way up, so it is definitely not a rushed process, so do not worry if you know nothing about the language or how to study languages because they will help you. Also, a language isn't compulsory and if you are struggling you can just drop out of that because you wouldn't want to end up with a third or a 2:2 simply because you struggled with a language. Oh and yes i am just coming out of sixth form. In terms of support for content, because these courses are often quite small because they are so specialised, you are able to have more interaction with your tutors and lecturers who would then be able to offer more support. This whole specialism surrounding the course did frighten me at first because i wondered "who would employ me who only knows one geographical location?" However, the skills you learn which can be found in all humanities subjects, i.e critical thinking, analysis, debating etc will make you employable. Now, what makes you unique is that over the 3 years you will learn the history, language, culture, economics, laws of a country in south east asia or maybe more than one country. So if an employer is looking to expand into that region, who they gonna call? You. Essentially, the skills you learn are a back-up in case you are unable to use the knowledge you used in a professional situation so there is no way you will be unemployable. I know SOAS hold careers fairs which will allow you to meet employets and the careers service would help you find internships, work experience etc. Other than that, you would have to build your own connections to ensure you have a good job after you leave. Goodluck :smile:

Reply 605

Masterbob

11

Hi there guys, I am having trouble getting accommodation because I live in south west london therefore only a 30-40 commute to SOAS, would it be hard to make friends/squad if not a halls resident?

Reply 606

Zakriah

13

Original post by Masterbob

Hi there guys, I am having trouble getting accommodation because I live in south west london therefore only a 30-40 commute to SOAS, would it be hard to make friends/squad if not a halls resident?

The only thing you would do in halls is sleep and cook food. The vast majority of your time would be spent outside socialising. So no, you are not at a disadvantage if you don't live in halls because you would have plenty of time to make friends when you are actually at the university and taking part in societies etc.

Reply 607

Masterbob

11

Original post by Zakriah

The only thing you would do in halls is sleep and cook food. The vast majority of your time would be spent outside socialising. So no, you are not at a disadvantage if you don't live in halls because you would have plenty of time to make friends when you are actually at the university and taking part in societies etc.

Hey thank you for replying, do you go to SOAS? will it be odd to be the only student that doesn't go clubbing?

Reply 608

Zakriah

13

Original post by Masterbob

Hey thank you for replying, do you go to SOAS? will it be odd to be the only student that doesn't go clubbing?

I'm joining SOAS in september and when i went to an open day, i asked a similar question and that was the response i was given by a student ambassador who stayed at Dinwiddy House. You will never be the only person who doesn't go clubbing, because the student body is so diverse and you may find that some people go clubbing all the time, but there are a lot of people who don't maybe due to religious reasons or personal preference. Also there are plenty of other ways to socialise and enjoy yourself such as attending societies and events held by the student union. So relax and don't feel like you have to change your personality to 'fit in'.

Reply 609

Masterbob

11

Original post by Zakriah

I'm joining SOAS in september and when i went to an open day, i asked a similar question and that was the response i was given by a student ambassador who stayed at Dinwiddy House. You will never be the only person who doesn't go clubbing, because the student body is so diverse and you may find that some people go clubbing all the time, but there are a lot of people who don't maybe due to religious reasons or personal preference. Also there are plenty of other ways to socialise and enjoy yourself such as attending societies and events held by the student union. So relax and don't feel like you have to change your personality to 'fit in'.