Official Leeds Applicants Thread 2011

Original post by Muffinz

I'll just give it a go. I'll go to the Pol department and see what electives they'd want me to take thids year in order to transfer. If they don't let me, I could always drop out

Hi Muffinz

You will probably have 40 credits worth that you can do electives outside of English, the politics modules are 20 credits each so you can do one each semester. I would advise doing Freedom Power & Democracy in Semester 1 and then one of British/International/European politics in Semester 2 depending on what you like best. When I was at Leeds I was friends with a girl who was doing Social Policy and switched to Politics after doing some electives, basically they let her on condition that she got 2:1s overall and in her Politics modules.

The best strategy is to work hard and be an active participant in your politics elective in Semester 1 and get to know your seminar tutor well. This is important so you have someone who can be a 'reference' for you as a potential switcher. I saw from the link in the email response you got that the programme manager for BA Politics now is Stuart McAnulla. He is a really nice fella, really approachable and easy to talk to and ultimately he's in charge of managing his numbers for the following year. I would say towards the end of Semester 1, contact him and ask if you can go and see him regarding switching in year 2. If you've done Freedom Power and Democracy plus one other politics module and are doing ok in them, and he can get a reference from your elective tutor to vouch for you being keen in politics, then you have a fair chance of being able to do it I reckon and switch direct at the start of 2nd year.

Reply 823

Original post by MagicNMedicine

Hi Muffinz

You will probably have 40 credits worth that you can do electives outside of English, the politics modules are 20 credits each so you can do one each semester. I would advise doing Freedom Power & Democracy in Semester 1 and then one of British/International/European politics in Semester 2 depending on what you like best. When I was at Leeds I was friends with a girl who was doing Social Policy and switched to Politics after doing some electives, basically they let her on condition that she got 2:1s overall and in her Politics modules.

The best strategy is to work hard and be an active participant in your politics elective in Semester 1 and get to know your seminar tutor well. This is important so you have someone who can be a 'reference' for you as a potential switcher. I saw from the link in the email response you got that the programme manager for BA Politics now is Stuart McAnulla. He is a really nice fella, really approachable and easy to talk to and ultimately he's in charge of managing his numbers for the following year. I would say towards the end of Semester 1, contact him and ask if you can go and see him regarding switching in year 2. If you've done Freedom Power and Democracy plus one other politics module and are doing ok in them, and he can get a reference from your elective tutor to vouch for you being keen in politics, then you have a fair chance of being able to do it I reckon and switch direct at the start of 2nd year.

You are an absolute star! :biggrin:

Reply 824

Original post by MagicNMedicine

Hi Muffinz

You will probably have 40 credits worth that you can do electives outside of English, the politics modules are 20 credits each so you can do one each semester. I would advise doing Freedom Power & Democracy in Semester 1 and then one of British/International/European politics in Semester 2 depending on what you like best. When I was at Leeds I was friends with a girl who was doing Social Policy and switched to Politics after doing some electives, basically they let her on condition that she got 2:1s overall and in her Politics modules.

The best strategy is to work hard and be an active participant in your politics elective in Semester 1 and get to know your seminar tutor well. This is important so you have someone who can be a 'reference' for you as a potential switcher. I saw from the link in the email response you got that the programme manager for BA Politics now is Stuart McAnulla. He is a really nice fella, really approachable and easy to talk to and ultimately he's in charge of managing his numbers for the following year. I would say towards the end of Semester 1, contact him and ask if you can go and see him regarding switching in year 2. If you've done Freedom Power and Democracy plus one other politics module and are doing ok in them, and he can get a reference from your elective tutor to vouch for you being keen in politics, then you have a fair chance of being able to do it I reckon and switch direct at the start of 2nd year.

Just one question - I had Politics at A-level and I feel like Freedom, Power etc is an introduction for those who haven't done the subject before. Do you think it'll effect anything if I do International and Euro Pol as my two electives? I did loads of British Pol at AS x_x

EDIT: Nevermind, looking it up and it looks very awesome :biggrin:

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 825

Original post by Muffinz

Just one question - I had Politics at A-level and I feel like Freedom, Power etc is an introduction for those who haven't done the subject before. Do you think it'll effect anything if I do International and Euro Pol as my two electives? I did loads of British Pol at AS x_x

EDIT: Nevermind, looking it up and it looks very awesome :biggrin:

It will depend on what semester the modules are offered in. You will probably have to do one in Semester 1 and the other in Semester 2, depending on how your English modules are timetabled. Freedom Power and Democracy is a good module though, its well more than A level type stuff.

Reply 826

Original post by MagicNMedicine

It will depend on what semester the modules are offered in. You will probably have to do one in Semester 1 and the other in Semester 2, depending on how your English modules are timetabled. Freedom Power and Democracy is a good module though, its well more than A level type stuff.

Do you have to pick your modules for the entire hyear when you enrole, or just for the first semester?

Reply 827

Original post by Muffinz

Do you have to pick your modules for the entire hyear when you enrole, or just for the first semester?

You have to pick them for the year, I think you do it online these days. There may be scope for changing round at the start of Semester 2 providing there is space on a module you want to join.

Reply 828

Original post by MagicNMedicine

You have to pick them for the year, I think you do it online these days. There may be scope for changing round at the start of Semester 2 providing there is space on a module you want to join.

Thank you, you've been very helpful! Do they usually change the reading lists or will the reading lists for modules marked 2010/11 do for the 2011/12 year? :smile:

Reply 829

Original post by Muffinz

Thank you, you've been very helpful! Do they usually change the reading lists or will the reading lists for modules marked 2010/11 do for the 2011/12 year? :smile:

I doubt the reading lists will change that much. You don't need to read all the books anyway, it is probably worth just getting one core text per module and then when you come to do an essay, read all the chapters in different books/articles that are on the reading list for that week. Even when it comes to exams it is more like 1 hr per essay so you can only really write about 1000-1200 words in that time, its more about knowing the key themes to a topic, what the different academics say and what the debate is, and being able to assemble it in order of your thoughts. I would say if you want to get a couple of books beforehands, which will be useful through more than 1st year, then the ones to get are
1. "Whats Wrong With Liberalism" by Maureen Ramsay. Maureen used to teach the FPD module at Leeds but I think she retired a year or so ago so now its Mark McNally (another friendly tutor). That book will be very useful for FPD and if you do the theory modules that follow on from it in 2nd/3rd year.
2. "The Age of Ideologies" by John Schwarzmantel. He teaches in the department and he takes a module in 2nd year basically which entirely follows that book. But even if you don't take his module, that book is a really handy guide for all the different political ideologies.
The good things about those two books are, they are not big heavy textbooks they are lightweight ones that you can keep with you. Also as they are written by tutors from the department, they are very relevant to the material that is taught in Leeds. They are also written with undergrads in mind so they are not too complicated and suitable for summer pre-reading before you get to Leeds if you want to do some.

Reply 830

Becky_1993

Anyone else for Psychology :biggrin:

Firmed Leeds the other day. AAB offer, now just wondering which accommodation to choose!?
xx

Also anyone looking at Oxley Residences for accommodation?

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 831

508836

3

Anyone for Biochemistry?

Edit - Guess not..

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 832

Preetinder

2

Firmed Physics BSc course (ABB offer) at Leeds!
Am stuck on deciding between accomodation too :P
I really want a room in that place that is like a 2 minute walk from the Physics Dept. (through a fully covered walkway-no trekking outside in Winter ^_^) but it's rather pricey.
Tips?

Reply 833

Firmed Medical sciences :smile:

and need to get a B in chemistry.
Haven't applied yet but will be applying for Lupton, it looks like it has a really good atmosphere :smile:

Reply 834

Original post by Tiger_Lilly92

Firmed Medical sciences :smile:

and need to get a B in chemistry.
Haven't applied yet but will be applying for Lupton, it looks like it has a really good atmosphere :smile:

Awww yeah

Reply 835

Have you applied there too? I reallt don't understand why it's undersubscribed???

Reply 836

Original post by Tiger_Lilly92

Have you applied there too? I reallt don't understand why it's undersubscribed???

I've applied there, yeah :biggrin:

There's quite a few of us who have, too!

I think maybe it's the distance from the campus/city and the price which is offputting - I happened to think that a nice half-hour walk in the morning is a good thing, as is saving money for cheap peach schnapps in Aldi! (The Aldi is very close to Lupton, I've google mapped it already >_>)

Reply 837

Yeah i know it's kinda far out and no en-suite (but i'm not bothered sharing) it just looks so good, i don't want to get to excited before even get in to leeds or get a place at Lupton but seriously can't wait :biggrin:

. Also it seems to be really sociable. I didn't know there was an Aldi - even better :smile:

Reply 838

Original post by Tiger_Lilly92

Yeah i know it's kinda far out and no en-suite (but i'm not bothered sharing) it just looks so good, i don't want to get to excited before even get in to leeds or get a place at Lupton but seriously can't wait :biggrin:

. Also it seems to be really sociable. I didn't know there was an Aldi - even better :smile:

Well accomoffice, an official representative from the university's accomodation office, says that those who put Lupton as first choice generally get it because it's so undersubscribed.

I'm hoping it'll be fun and we'll have a nice mix of people :biggrin:

I'll personally be bringing the ingredients for my local's cocktail, Skittles (orange j20, peach schnapps, blue bols and tia maria) with me for flatwarming :biggrin:

(edited 13 years ago)

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