At the moment I'm on track for A in English Lit, History and RS (which I prefer to call philosophy) and B in maths; I'm in Year 11 atm (advanced curriculum thing) and if I get a B in maths because I wanted all As I was going to take Government and Politics, which the only reason why I did not take it is my pre-GCSE self was far too cocky and felt that he already knew enough about politics to do such a simple course (as well as the email from the Cambridge SPS department telling him that it did not matter particuarly). If I get an A in maths as a two fingers response to my maths teachers, then I planned on sticking with it.
This is less a query more a ponder.
I emailed Oxford about studying history and politics (as well as LSE but they are yet to reply - they tend to take a while in my experience) and whether it would be best to continue with maths, they told me yes, take Government and Politics (a course that even the SPS department at Cam told me I did not need) and they recommended:
1) Keep maths
2) Drop either English Lit or RS
This I took as a shock. Dropping English Literature for Government and Politics?
There is no reason for you to do maths at A level to do history and politics at Oxford, especially if you're more likely to get A's in other subjects. History, English Lit, RS (which I also like to call philosphy)and goverment and politics were exactly the A levels I took... it got me in.
There is no reason for you to do maths at A level to do history and politics at Oxford, especially if you're more likely to get A's in other subjects. History, English Lit, RS (which I also like to call philosphy)and goverment and politics were exactly the A levels I took... it got me in.
That is why I question it so much pre GCSEs I was very cocky and thought my little world of Marx and Trotsky meant I knew everything about politics then when the 9 A* prediction became 2 A* that kind of changed.
I chose maths so it would be a good mix and I like it - if I decide to do the more sensible thing and go for straight history (which I believe has a much better success rate) maybe that would serve me better than Gov. but who knows? I've got my 2/3 maths module results waiting for me in a few weeks and when I think I've got A on one and C on the other I'm rather worried XD
It really shocked me to drop English Literature a subject I not only love but which easily fits in the best with history.
I've emailed the Cambridge history dpt. a slightly edited but similar email, but telling them what Oxford tell me.
How are you finding history and politics btw, and what is your experience vs those who take just straight history?
That does seem a little weird, but the admissions tutors are surely the ones who know best in these matters?! I guess the reasoning behind this is that studying subjects directly to what you hope to study at Oxford or Cambridge is slightly preferable to studying related subjects... I dunno! I do remember one of my very good friends (who applied for HistPol but was rejected) said there's a stats module or something, so maybe keeping Maths is useful for that?
Just my ideas, I don't know anything about HistPol admissions other than what I've read here!
There is no reason for you to do maths at A level to do history and politics at Oxford, especially if you're more likely to get A's in other subjects. History, English Lit, RS (which I also like to call philosphy)and goverment and politics were exactly the A levels I took... it got me in.
You sir are doing exactly the same A levels as me
And you don't need maths for History and Politics at Oxford, unless you are desperate to take stuff like "quantification in History" and "stastical methods in the social sciences" as options. But if you don't like maths you can avoid it fairly easily.
Oh, and the coursework piece in the first year involves data handling, but that's hardly advanced maths.
Cambridge emailed me back incredibly quickly (kudos indeed) and they were a lot more nonchalant. They told me that any of the combinations put forward would be very good, and that when they look more closely at individual module results they'll look at the main three which would be in my case history english lit and rs. They said maths is a good life subject, but that it should simply be a case of what you're best at.
To be brutually frank I've been doubting choosing history and politics for a while, I think it would be far more realistic to just do history since afterall politics is a huge part in it and it tends to be less popular.
So for me at least if at the end of the year my maths AS says A I will definitely think about sticking with it; if it says B well I'll take Government and Politics.
Thanks all for your advice, this thread I made also for people with similar queries so I hope that's answered some people's questions.
And you don't need maths for History and Politics at Oxford, unless you are desperate to take stuff like "quantification in History" and "stastical methods in the social sciences" as options. But if you don't like maths you can avoid it fairly easily.
Oh, and the coursework piece in the first year involves data handling, but that's hardly advanced maths.
There's no coursework piece in the first year anymore. They got rid of it last year. So anyone doing HPol u're lucky!
In the first year do your end of year exams (or c/w if there is any!) count towards your degree grade?
No tht's the joy of first year. You just have to pass (40%!) the first year to get into second year and finals work. Although obvs it's helpful to do better than this because of scholarships/job applications/masters courses etc.
Yeh - third year now tho, getting old hehe! You starting next year right?
Grades pending and all that jazz
On another note, if you intend to study political theory in your 2nd and 3rd year, is it a good idea to attend the lectures on "Theorising the Democratic State" in your first year, even though this topic is for PPE students?
On another note, if you intend to study political theory in your 2nd and 3rd year, is it a good idea to attend the lectures on "Theorising the Democratic State" in your first year, even though this topic is for PPE students?
Which college are you at?
Wow you're very keen!
It definitely couldn't hurt going to those lectures but it isn't essential. I do Pol Theory and there's a 16 part lecture series for it, on top of the tutorials u'll have so I think tht's enough! I'm at New. You got any other ideas about what u wanna study? x
Well my main area of interest is the relationship between political ideas and historical events, so I'd like to do some stuff on the American and French revolutions and intersperse that with politics modules on political thought, ideally.
On another note, if you intend to study political theory in your 2nd and 3rd year, is it a good idea to attend the lectures on "Theorising the Democratic State" in your first year, even though this topic is for PPE students?
Which college are you at?
Theorising the democratic state?! News to me as a PPE student.... I plan to do Pol Theory 2nd year at least, and the only lectures I've ever had to go to are the Pol Theory Prelims ones (right at the top of the lecture list), and then later on, the Political Theory core lectures.
I couldnt' find your Theorising the Democratic State lectures on either the history or the politics lecture list. Where are you getting them from? And looking at the History and Politics handbook, it looks like Pol Theory is exactly the same and politics, so I wouldn't stress in first year. Go to the prelims lectures if you think it's necessary. I mean it's only an hour a week...
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