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Languages Undergraduates 2015 Entry!

I think the time has come!

Which universities are people thinking of applying, and for which language(s)?

Personally, I hope to study French and Spanish; I'm currently considering Cambridge, Southampton, Bristol, Leeds and Bath.
(edited 9 years ago)

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Original post by SvLy
I think the time has come!

Which universities are people thinking of applying, and for which language(s)?

Personally, I hope to study French and Spanish; I'm currently considering Durham, Southampton, Bristol, Leeds, Bath and Exeter.


Hi! I'm glad there's one of these! I'm applying for Italian or Italian/ancient history. My picks that I'm sure of are: Bristol, Leeds and Warwick. I'm debating Cardiff and Liverpool. I can't wait for the fall so I can apply!


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Original post by SvLy
I think the time has come!

Which universities are people thinking of applying, and for which language(s)?

Personally, I hope to study French and Spanish; I'm currently considering Durham, Southampton, Bristol, Leeds, Bath and Exeter.

I'm applying to study French and German, possibly with a third language at the places that offer it. I'm currently thinking of applying to Leeds, Nottingham, Sheffield, Hull and one of Newcastle and Exeter.
Reply 3
Original post by Hannie Rose
I'm applying to study French and German, possibly with a third language at the places that offer it. I'm currently thinking of applying to Leeds, Nottingham, Sheffield, Hull and one of Newcastle and Exeter.


Same here!
question for you - how are you planning to construct your personal statement? As in- focus on just French and German, or have a section dedicated to the further language?
Original post by ian s
Same here!
question for you - how are you planning to construct your personal statement? As in- focus on just French and German, or have a section dedicated to the further language?

I'm not really sure yet, but I think I may mention that I would like to learn another language but not go into too much detail about it.
Hey

Hope you don't mind me butting in. I did French, German and Japanese at Newcastle so if anyone has any questions about the uni/Newcastle's language programmes etc, please message me :smile:

And/or check out my thread: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2477997

Good luck everyone xx
I'm looking at Oxford, Edinburgh, Durham, SOAS and Leeds for Japanese :biggrin:
Reply 7
Hi! I'm hoping to apply for Spanish and ab initio Russian at Cambridge, Durham, Bristol, Edinburgh, and Durham, and maybe Sheffield in stead of one of those?
What sort of reading is everyone doing? And what are people doing over summer in terms of going to the country etc?

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Yaay, I'm glad there's one of these!!

I want to do French and History :smile: i keep wavering between doing a full language degree but I'm not sure which one I'd pick and I love History too much to give it up!!

I'm pretty sure I'm applying to Oxford, UCL, KCL, and Durham (AS grades permitting). However, I'm stuck on my insurance choice :/
Warwick - AAB
Leeds - AAB
Nottingham - ABB
Exeter - AAB-ABB (but will probs offer me AAB)
I want a bigger city/campus but unfortunately not many places do french and history :'(

Is anyone else doing French in any combo?


What are you guys reading/doing over the holidays to prepare ?
I'm going to Montpellier for two weeks for lessons/immersion. And I'm trying to find good french lit to get stuck into but this summer has been procrastination station:biggrin:
Reply 9
Original post by xcartoonheart

What are you guys reading/doing over the holidays to prepare ?
I'm going to Montpellier for two weeks for lessons/immersion. And I'm trying to find good french lit to get stuck into but this summer has been procrastination station:biggrin:

I'm in Madrid for three weeks working as an intern In the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando! I'm trying to read a good mix of novels/short stor-ies/plays/poetry/non fiction
Original post by elaras
I'm in Madrid for three weeks working as an intern In the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando! I'm trying to read a good mix of novels/short stor-ies/plays/poetry/non fiction


oh wow that's amazing!! i just googled it and it looks like such a cool institution. how did you manage to get that opportunity? also, how proficient are you in spanish - slightly worried about the level i'll need :s-smilie: have you been learning it for long?

yep thats what i'm trying to do as well! i've got a couple of novels and plays read in translation but now i'm trying to tackle poetry :smile:
btw have you visited durham? i really want to apply but hoping the surrounding area is nice/exciting enough!
Reply 11
Original post by xcartoonheart
oh wow that's amazing!! i just googled it and it looks like such a cool institution. how did you manage to get that opportunity? also, how proficient are you in spanish - slightly worried about the level i'll need :s-smilie: have you been learning it for long?

yep thats what i'm trying to do as well! i've got a couple of novels and plays read in translation but now i'm trying to tackle poetry :smile:
btw have you visited durham? i really want to apply but hoping the surrounding area is nice/exciting enough!


I heard they did summer internships, including for people who are native English speakers so I applied! The other three doing it with me are from Yale - I think what swung it for me is I have done a lot of work experience in museums though.
Aha as proficient as any a level student I suppose! I've been learning it since I was in year 7, how about you?
Nooo I was busy on the open day! :frown: I might try and go up in the summer just to look around the city though
Original post by elaras
I heard they did summer internships, including for people who are native English speakers so I applied! The other three doing it with me are from Yale - I think what swung it for me is I have done a lot of work experience in museums though.
Aha as proficient as any a level student I suppose! I've been learning it since I was in year 7, how about you?
Nooo I was busy on the open day! :frown: I might try and go up in the summer just to look around the city though


Ohhh, that makes sense :smile: wish i could have found something like that would have been so perfect for history & french :s-smilie: has your other experience been in england?

i've been learning it properly since year 7 (before that colours and singing songs) but its barely developed..i can get by reading and listening, very bad at speaking or writing though... most of my lessons aren't very in depth might have to teach myself good grammar this summer though!

yeah, i'm not sure if it would be my top choice, i much prefer oxford ucl and kcl but the modules look really good :smile:
Reply 13
Original post by xcartoonheart
Ohhh, that makes sense :smile: wish i could have found something like that would have been so perfect for history & french :s-smilie: has your other experience been in england?

i've been learning it properly since year 7 (before that colours and singing songs) but its barely developed..i can get by reading and listening, very bad at speaking or writing though... most of my lessons aren't very in depth might have to teach myself good grammar this summer though!

yeah, i'm not sure if it would be my top choice, i much prefer oxford ucl and kcl but the modules look really good :smile:


Yeah at various museums in London, and the Fitzwilliam in Cambridge. You could try Finding so, e thing now and the you could write it on ur ps as a planned thing? Most of the open days I have gone to say they like hearing plans.
Original post by elaras
Yeah at various museums in London, and the Fitzwilliam in Cambridge. You could try Finding so, e thing now and the you could write it on ur ps as a planned thing? Most of the open days I have gone to say they like hearing plans.


That's a possibility! Aaah, the dreaded PS...how much have you done? I sent my subject mentors a draft, and my teacher for the history side was not exactly in awe :s-smilie:
Reply 15
Original post by xcartoonheart
That's a possibility! Aaah, the dreaded PS...how much have you done? I sent my subject mentors a draft, and my teacher for the history side was not exactly in awe :s-smilie:


I've finished a draft that i could comfortably send off (slightly shameful brag here: one of my teachers said it was the best ps draft she had ever read) but I will inevitably have to change it as the summer goes on! My school basically makes us finish it before we break up though. I could look at yours if you want and give you some TIPS? Not like I'm some expert a haha but I think it's really good to get a wide range of opinions and it's less embarrassing to send St to a stranger than a friend.
Original post by elaras
I've finished a draft that i could comfortably send off (slightly shameful brag here: one of my teachers said it was the best ps draft she had ever read) but I will inevitably have to change it as the summer goes on! My school basically makes us finish it before we break up though. I could look at yours if you want and give you some TIPS? Not like I'm some expert a haha but I think it's really good to get a wide range of opinions and it's less embarrassing to send St to a stranger than a friend.


Woah, that would be insanely helpful!! I think I'm having trouble make it flow..need to figure out a cohesive structure. Could you PM me your email so I can send it to you in a word document, don't want UCAS to think I'm plaigarising :P oh and could I read yours as well if thats ok? I've looked at some sample statements but I can never tell if they're what I should be aiming for :biggrin::tongue:
Original post by xcartoonheart
Yaay, I'm glad there's one of these!!

I want to do French and History :smile: i keep wavering between doing a full language degree but I'm not sure which one I'd pick and I love History too much to give it up!!

I'm pretty sure I'm applying to Oxford, UCL, KCL, and Durham (AS grades permitting). However, I'm stuck on my insurance choice :/
Warwick - AAB
Leeds - AAB
Nottingham - ABB
Exeter - AAB-ABB (but will probs offer me AAB)
I want a bigger city/campus but unfortunately not many places do french and history :'(



I know you probably don't want to add another uni to your list, but have you considered Newcastle?
French and History is AAB entry and it's also Russell Group so would fit amongst your insurance choices and you get to have a campus uni that's in a city centre, which is a bit of a rarity!

I'd advise against Durham if you want a city experience. I've never visited the uni (they didn't do my course), but as beautiful as the city centre is, it's really tiny. Not any bigger than a lot of towns!

And after Oxbridge, I really don't think there's that much difference in terms of the "prestige" of degrees from other Russell Group unis. Like Newcastle beats UCL for French in the rankings, but UCL beats them for History. So I'd really advise choosing somewhere you can see yourself living and being happy, not just looking at the AAA vs. AAB etc. But I guess you've yet to make your visits and you might love it once you've been :P

Good luck!
Original post by sophia5892
I know you probably don't want to add another uni to your list, but have you considered Newcastle?
French and History is AAB entry and it's also Russell Group so would fit amongst your insurance choices and you get to have a campus uni that's in a city centre, which is a bit of a rarity!

I'd advise against Durham if you want a city experience. I've never visited the uni (they didn't do my course), but as beautiful as the city centre is, it's really tiny. Not any bigger than a lot of towns!

And after Oxbridge, I really don't think there's that much difference in terms of the "prestige" of degrees from other Russell Group unis. Like Newcastle beats UCL for French in the rankings, but UCL beats them for History. So I'd really advise choosing somewhere you can see yourself living and being happy, not just looking at the AAA vs. AAB etc. But I guess you've yet to make your visits and you might love it once you've been :P

Good luck!


Sounds stupid but newcastle was just that bit too far away from me (i live near london)! and i know durham is a similar distance but the course looked so good/it has a great reputation that i was prepared to live with the distance/size. however, not exactly sure if i want to do history and french/or french with an ab initio language so thats another issue... but yeah i definitely agree that i'll choose somewhere where i'll have the best experience: i'm not applying to warwick for that very reason: waaay to small for me haha :biggrin:
thank you! x
Original post by sophia5892
Like Newcastle beats UCL for French in the rankings


:noway:

One should not set too much store by what rankings say. Let's be honest, Newcastle is not as good as UCL, for any subject. Remember that these rankings use a very dodgy methodology which has little to do with academics, and they change wildly each year. You might choose to go to Newcastle over UCL if you don't want to study a lot of French lit - UCL French is very literature heavy. But to simply say that Newcastle is better than UCL is wrong.
(edited 9 years ago)

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