Ask a SOAS student anything

Do you know anyone doing a joint geography and something degree, because you do the geography at kings and the other subject as SOAS. I was wondering if you might just feel a bit lost?

Hey man! Got an offer for Japanese and Japanese & politics. Would Jap & politics be more intense than straight Japanese?

Also I'm quite social and I like to go out and get ****faced like every state school cool cat, there will be fellow drunkards right?

Or is everyone really work-dedicated?

I'm willing to sacrifice some social life for Japanese but not amaretto or rum yuh get meh?

I've watched some YouTube videos were current students are like ' why did I come here, I have no life, I can't get a job with Japanese' And it makes me cry at night man

Yes. a lot more. Japanese has a huge dropout rate (like Arabic and Chinese), because people don't realise how intense it is. However, those people who manage joint degrees have a wonderful experience.



Yes, of course.



No everyone. For Japanese, you have to be work-dedicated. But there's no contradiction between being work-dedicated and very sociable.



Yes, I get you.



Hope you get happier soon

Joe

Since SOAS is so focused on cultural diversity and experience, would courses such as Politics, Linguistics, and Law focus primarily on Britain and include other cultures as options, or would said courses not have a specific culture, focus more on theory and application to other countries? I really want to know how Linguistics works because that's the study of language: which language? The first year has Introduction to Grammatical Structure, and I'm unsure if the main focus in English or different grammatical systems of the world's languages?

This isn't a problem because Linguistic degrees need to offer a wide range of different language systems for comparative analysis, but I'm still curious.

Thank you for answering! Okay, I still might take Japanese and Politics simply because of the job opportunities at the end, but thanks for making it clear that a joint honours would be even more challenging than Jap.

I swear every second a glass of rum is not upon my lips I will be learning Kanji. Does it help to learn Japanese beforehand? I have a tutor for like an hour a week.

Once again, thanks.
Richard

Compared to Sheffield, do you think the workload would be much heavier? I just don't want to feel isolated and pressured for the whole degree because I know my work will suffer, especially in London, that's why chances to relax and socialise would be a kind of solace to me, and I'd love to do Jap. and politics but if it means even more work then I might have to re-consider.

Thank you for answering! Okay, I still might take Japanese and Politics simply because of the job opportunities at the end, but thanks for making it clear that a joint honours would be even more challenging than Jap.

I swear every second a glass of rum is not upon my lips I will be learning Kanji. Does it help to learn Japanese beforehand? I have a tutor for like an hour a week.

Once again, thanks.
Richard

Does it help to learn Japanese beforehand?

btw, I'm typing in London slang and that, but hardly anyone at SOAS speaks like this...full of private/grammar students.


I'm a minority maayn, state school soldier

SOAS aint every1's cup of tea. PREPARE TO BE DISAPPOINTED ! And if you are really determined to go ahead and come here, goodluck with that LOOOOOOOL social life sucksss ! Every1 is very geeky abt stuff like politics and religion so make sure you do some homework on Middle East/Islam. WORKS EVERY TIME !

THIS. hahaha be prepared to sacrifice your slangs, people would give you the weird look. The whole 'pretentious' stereotype is scarily true in SOAS. had ppl frm east london pretending they dont speak like that looolllllll made me look like an complete idiot when I thought 'ooooh finally sm1 wiv whom I can speak normally.' Naaaaaaaahhhh! smh

THIS. hahaha be prepared to sacrifice your slangs, people would give you the weird look. The whole 'pretentious' stereotype is scarily true in SOAS. had ppl frm east london pretending they dont speak like that looolllllll made me look like an complete idiot when I thought 'ooooh finally sm1 wiv whom I can speak normally.' Naaaaaaaahhhh! smh

Right, I've asked a couple of friends about this, and they say the most beneficial thing would be to learn the two alphabets that aren't kanji beforehand (they tried to get me to remember the names of them, but I didn't), as you're expected to know both those alphabets within like a week of starting the course

I disagree though. A full degree in Japanese might be just as challenging. I'm doing a BA Honours in Chinese, and from what I hear, joint degree students actually (for some) find it easier, because they don't have to take 4th year courses, and they can choose the less challenging courses of the Chinese (in your case would be Japanese) department.

It might help to learn a bit in advance, but don't kid yourself, you'll need to work regardless of how much you do in advance. And if you know a bit, they might just put you in an advanced class, i.e. with half Japanese people who have the grammar all down, or people who have lived a bit in Japan, and ask you to do the year faster (and take another module at the same time.)

SOAS aint every1's cup of tea. PREPARE TO BE DISAPPOINTED ! And if you are really determined to go ahead and come here, goodluck with that LOOOOOOOL social life sucksss ! Every1 is very geeky abt stuff like politics and religion so make sure you do some homework on Middle East/Islam. WORKS EVERY TIME !

Oh my god you make me want to cry! I WANT TO HAVE A SOCIAL LIFE! I love religion and philosophy so I might be able to hold my own. Why does the social life suck?