I just graduated with a degree in Viking Studies, AMA (ask me anything)

As the title says. I have recently graduated with a degree in Viking Studies (that is the title of my degree) from the University of Nottingham. Ask me anything! :smile:

Reply 1

username1331498

16

What career do you intend on pursuing?

Really? Be serious.

What do your parents think?

What's the reaction when you mention your degree?

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 4

Messalina

OP

15

Original post by EatAndRevise

What career do you intend on pursuing?

Currently I'm working with a charity which supports young carers and provides them with welfare and support beyond their caring responsibilities. Involves some admin, lots of hands on stuff with the kids/teens and lots of day trips out. I really enjoy it and for the time being I want to pursue it, but in the long term I don't have definite plans. Something involving charity work or not-for-profit organisations would be preferable, and I like working with people.

Reply 5

Clip

19

Congrats. Did you go out?

Are your Norsing a hangover?

Reply 6

Messalina

OP

15

Original post by Marky Mark

And what do your parents think?

What's the reaction when you mention your degree?

My dad is a stoic fellow who spends most of his time sleeping on the sofa, so he's pretty nonchalant regardless. My mum studied history and she loves it (when my little sister decided to study classics she practically exploded with historical joy).

The reaction is split between people who are rude and say I have no future, and people who are pretty surprised and ask me to tell them everything I know about Vikings. Nobody is unsurprised though.

Reply 7

Aula

18

Having had a quick google your degree actually sounds amazing!
Where did you have field trips to?

Reply 8

username1331498

16

Original post by Messalina

Currently I'm working with a charity which supports young carers and provides them with welfare and support beyond their caring responsibilities. Involves some admin, lots of hands on stuff with the kids/teens and lots of day trips out. I really enjoy it and for the time being I want to pursue it, but in the long term I don't have definite plans. Something involving charity work or not-for-profit organisations would be preferable, and I like working with people.

That sounds rather interesting. How are you going to make your career relevant to Viking Studies? If you plan on doing so.

Reply 9

Messalina

OP

15

Original post by Clip

Congrats. Did you go out?

Are your Norsing a hangover?

I am forever norsing a hangover from all the mead that fills my drinking horn!

I didn't get much of a night out though, I'd already moved away from Nottingham to London for my new job by the time I received my grades and I don't know many people here expect my middle aged colleagues. Need to find me a mead hall!

Reply 10

Marky Mark

Original post by Messalina

My dad is a stoic fellow who spends most of his time sleeping on the sofa, so he's pretty nonchalant regardless. My mum studied history and she loves it (when my little sister decided to study classics she practically exploded with historical joy).

The reaction is split between people who are rude and say I have no future, and people who are pretty surprised and ask me to tell them everything I know about Vikings. Nobody is unsurprised though.

Well alright then...

What made you choose it?

sounds interesting

Did you go to Nottingham uni? Did you go to Norway for a semester? Would you say it's a good place for a holiday?

Reply 13

lor771

3

What made you want to become a Viking?

Reply 14

Messalina

OP

15

Original post by Aula

Having had a quick google your degree actually sounds amazing!
Where did you have field trips to?

We went to York, Wearmouth and Jarrow, Lindisfarne, and Hadrian's Wall (no idea why we went there, I think just because the lecturer had a thing for Romans too)

There was the opportunity to go and study in Norway, but it wasn't covered by UK tuition fees so would've worked out at about 6k+ per semester when taking into account accommodation etc. I would have liked to go but my grip on languages is already shaky, learning middle english, old english and old norse already I don't think I could have fitted any modern norweigan into my brain! Some of my coursemates went though and they had a whale of a time - although one of them went out in the morning with wet hair from the shower, and it was frozen by the time she reached campus!

Reply 15

OMGWTFBBQ

17

What do you think did my damage to your future career; Viking Studies or the University of Nottingham?

Reply 16

Messalina

OP

15

Original post by EatAndRevise

That sounds rather interesting. How are you going to make your career relevant to Viking Studies? If you plan on doing so.

Unfortunately I don't really think I'll have a career relevant to my degree. Unless I planned on going down the academic route (which is already very popular amongst my classmates) there's little demand for Viking experts, and I didn't really want to be a lecturer. I saw it as a chance to take a three way interdisciplinary degree (English, Archaeology, History) in a subject I really enjoyed, which alone should be interesting on my CV and give me a more unique outlook than the copious amounts of plain history graduates out there. I'll certainly continue to pursue it as a personal interest but unless I get headhunted by a Viking I think I'll have to leave it here.

Reply 17

Messalina

OP

15

Original post by Marky Mark

Well alright then...

What made you choose it?

I liked the campus, I like Vikings. It really was that simple. Perhaps a throwaway decision on my part, but certainly not one I regret. Short of ANSAC at Cambridge (which I didn't have the grades for) there aren't any other courses like this in the UK.

Reply 18

Messalina

OP

15

Original post by yennibubs

Did you go to Nottingham uni? Did you go to Norway for a semester? Would you say it's a good place for a holiday?

Yes I went to the University of Nottingham.

I didn't study in Norway, I had the option but it wasn't financially viable. I had coursemates who really enjoyed studying there though.