Outside subject(s) in 1st and 2nd year *post here with questions*

I've applied for English Literature and French, was thinking of starting another language from scratch but I'm a bit worried about the workload, especially knowing I would have to do literary things for all three subjects!

Is it a bad idea to take credits in a subject you haven't done for a while (or ever)? I'm quite interested in History or Classics for example, but I only did History to GCSE and don't have much experience of writing essays in it or anything like that...

You're taking English Lit - I'd be more worried about that from the perspective of not having an essay writing background than a potential outside course. If you really don't have an essay background it's probably best to take as many essay based courses as possible in your first two years to get your experience up and master some technique before your grades start to count.

Outside courses only require 40% to pass, so if you pick something that sounds interesting to you it's generally enough motivation to easily get you through (plus first year courses are generally straightforward/easy, and the course organisers want you to pass...) If you like the idea of History/Classics and have some general ideas as to how to write an essay/read a book you should be able to get yourself 50+% on a first year course.

If you were taking a language from scratch, the first year course will be based in learning the language leaving the culture/literature side of things to the 2nd year courses. Two languages (usually one continued and one ab initio) and English Lit is a fairly common combination so there are plenty of people to have gone before and coped with the workloads.

Does anyone know if you still have to speak to your DOS in second year about your course choices?

Does anyone know if you still have to speak to your DOS in second year about your course choices?

I'd really rather not if I can avoid it.

In other words, is there another means to register your outside courses in second year?

Cheers.

If you apply to do a Humanities subject, what are the chances you'd have to do a science/maths-based subject as an outside course if you didn't get in to any of the outside courses you applied for in Humanities?

You're not going to be forced to do anything you don't want and in all honesty, I don't really know of anyone who didn't get to to do the outside choices they wanted. Most people have probably 2 to 4 modules/subjects they'd be interested in taking as their additional ones, then when you go to see your DoS in freshers week they will tell you the score. It's not an internal application process or anything. In most cases they can sign you up there and then - this is what happened with me in both 1st and 2nd year - and everything is fine. If you wanted to do something such as History, English Lit, Philosophy, Politics etc which is very over subscribed from the UCAS process then they apparently opperate a lottery system to allocate remaining places, so you'd probably have to give a second choice then. There are so many modules and choices to choose from, it's not like there are only a couple of subjects and once it's full then tough luck... it's really flexible and you'll certainly be able to take something you want to do.

Oh that's amazing, thank you. I was wary of applying to Edinburgh in case I may be forced into Chemistry or something lol!

Also, do you need to have studied the outside subject at Higher/AS-level before in order to take it, or can you learn it from scratch? For example, I'm really interested in Classics but to apply for it you need Higher Greek/Latin, and I've never studied anything of the kind before.

I'd like to be forced into Chem ..adore it.

I think that you are eligible to study whatever you want from the scratch. I hope so.

No offence, I've just never been able to get along with sciences, ever. People at my school look at me in horror when I tell them I love English, only me and two other people like it.

Oh that's amazing, thank you. I was wary of applying to Edinburgh in case I may be forced into Chemistry or something lol!

Also, do you need to have studied the outside subject at Higher/AS-level before in order to take it, or can you learn it from scratch? For example, I'm really interested in Classics but to apply for it you need Higher Greek/Latin, and I've never studied anything of the kind before.

You can take Greek or Latin from complete beginners, and the history/culture classes will also be open to non Classics students providing there are spaces. It seems that one only needs Higher Latin/Greek to apply for Classics single honours, if you apply for joint it doesn't seem to be a requirement. Similarly, Classical Studies has no subject requirements.... meaning the vast majority of Classics courses should be open to students without Highers.

In some cases there are certain entry requirements which you need to fulfil, say with Maths or something for example, but in general you can start things as a beginner, you can with all of the languages as far as I know.

I've always been an English baby too... you should take Linguistics

I will be doing 1st year biological sciences next year and im looking into other subjects courses but i think i am confusing myself lol.If i did 3 biology courses each semester that would be using all 120credits so i wouldn't be able to do any outside courses is this correct?Also does anyone know if i have to do a biological chemistry course in the 1st year?

Hey!

I was just wondering, I'm going to do education but I want to teach in a catholic school and in my interview she mentioned about doing an extra side course so that I can get the qualification to do so. Do you happen to have any information on this, or anything I could look at online? My searches have been in vain.

Thanks a lot!

Hey!

I was just wondering, I'm going to do education but I want to teach in a catholic school and in my interview she mentioned about doing an extra side course so that I can get the qualification to do so. Do you happen to have any information on this, or anything I could look at online? My searches have been in vain.

Thanks a lot!

Yeah, if you take 3 biology ones worth 20 credits a piece each semester you'll have 120 by the end of the year, so you don't need to do anything outside of biology. Biologists have special rules I think from the people I met in my 1st year!

Biological Chemistry is an optional course choice in first year.