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The Quad, Middlesex University
Middlesex University
London

Sociology at Middlesex University

Hello my name is Mariam Humed and I am currently in my final year studying Sociology with Criminology at Middlesex University. I am also a Course Ambassador as well as a Student Ambassador. I am the Course Ambassador for the Sociology course cluster including: Sociology, Sociology with Criminology, Sociology with Social Policy and Sociology with Psychology.

I am available to answer any questions you have about the above courses and about the university in general, so please don't hesitate to ask me anything.

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Here are some common questions that are usually asked if you have any additional questions, I am more than happy to answer them or any others

How does the teaching take place?
-There are weekly lectures and seminars that take place. Lectures are are usually bigger classes where there is an outline of the topic that are taught by lecturers and there are hardly any interactions between students and lecturers. Seminars are more smaller classes where you engage in discussions and group work with fellow students. This is a time for you to participate and engage with the topics and the weekly readings.

Are there any exams within the modules?
-Within the sociology modules, there are no exams apart from the module:- State, Society and Globalisation which there is an exam during the May/June period. You are graded and assessed through:- assignments, reports and presentations. Within the final year, a dissertation is one of the assessments amongst other assignments.

What modules do you cover within the sociology degrees?
-Some of the examples of modules that are taken and taught in sociology degrees are: Contemporary Social Theory, State & Society and Globalisation, Researching the City, Exploring Social Practices, Criminology in Late Modernity, Gender and Sexuality and many more.

What accommodation is there available for students?
- There are Usher Halls that are opposite the Hendon campus and there are Ivy Halls and Platt Halls approximately 20 minutes away from the campus in both directions. All of this is reasonably convenient for students as there are nearby to the campus and therefore you do not need to travel far to get to/from university every day.

Are there facilities/services available for students?
-There are facilities and services available for students, however for degrees like Sociology and Criminology which is primarily reading and writing. The university has an LET (Learning Engagement Team) which help look over your essay plans and essays to help you improve and provide you with constructive criticism to build up your academic writing and they also provide help with Maths and Statistics if you need it. They are based in our main library (The Sheppard Library).
(edited 7 years ago)
The Quad, Middlesex University
Middlesex University
London
Hello everyone, hope you are all doing well, 07/11/2016

Today is my first day of reading week where I have a week off uni to catch up on reading and some studying. I have a lot of work ahead of me, this past week at uni we focused on essay preparation in my modules which I think is very important for reading week so we know what we are supposed to be doing. I also met with my dissertation supervisor and she gave me some great tips on how to move forward which really helped me a lot. I also got to learn about what types of sanctions and sentences are given to young offenders who have committed crimes in my criminology module and this was thoroughly enjoyable.

Until next week, If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask me :smile:
Hello Everyone,

I hope you have all had a great week, my week has been pretty productive and I am really happy about this. I have been caught up with all my necessary readings and have read some really interesting chapters and articles. I had a reading for my Gender and Sexuality module about intersectionality which was all about how people especially women identify themselves within different social categories e.g. social class, race, sexuality etc.. and how black women have had a different experience to others and we explored this further in our seminar. We watched a very interesting talk from Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw about intersectionality who is a very powerful and articulate speaker which I enjoyed very much. Her talk was thoroughly thought-provoking.

On another note, I have completed some really important planning and preparation for my essays and I feel that this has placed me in a better and stronger place to achieve the best possible grade for my upcoming assignments. Although, I have already started writing and developing my pre-sentence report for my criminology module where I have been given a case study of a young offender and I have to assess what is the most appropriate sentence for him which so far has been pretty interesting.

Due to this, I was able to relax for little while which I think is very important for students and got to catch up with my favourite programmes so overall a pretty great week :smile: :smile:

Mariam Humed,
Middlesex Course Ambassador,
Sociology
(edited 7 years ago)
Hello everyone,

I have had yet another busy week as assignments deadlines are coming up and this is what I have been preoccupied with across all my modules, which has not been dull or boring. It has been quite enjoyable and interesting as I have come across different types of unique and interesting research.

I have also had my usual lectures and seminars; however, this is week in my Gender module we had guest speakers which were our Employability Business Partner for School of Law and a recent Master’s graduate who works with a charity that specialise in female contraception to come in to talk to us about our employment and career options/ opportunities which was very helpful. It has given me some extra guidance into where I should be looking for jobs and what is available for me after graduation even though I want to do my Master’s, our guest speakers also spoke about the benefits of both staying in education and getting work/job experience. They made some great links between what we are studying and how this can lead us to have careers so it was great to get this perspective from them.

Another really good thing I did this week was meet with the GAA for Sociology which stands for Graduate Academic Assistant who have graduated and we can meet with them and discuss any queries and concerns we have about our course or our assignments. I spoke to her about my dissertation literature and got some great advice about other types of literature that I can search for to give me a broader spectrum.

It has been another great and productive week :smile:

Mariam Humed,
Middlesex University Course Ambassador,
Sociology
(edited 7 years ago)
Hello Everyone,

I hope you are all doing well, with Christmas Break fast approaching deadlines are within my reach. I have finished my criminology pre-sentence report that I mentioned a few weeks ago and this has made me very happy and satisfied. I have also finalised my draft of my essay for my Media and Communication module, as this past week we had a seminar all about essay tips and how to write the best essays to achieve the best possible grade. I also had my dissertation lecture but we did something different as our lecturer gave us an idea about what the final product of the dissertation should ideally look like.

We have also started presentations in my other module: Gender, Sexuality and Society even though my presentation is only in March, I have started to read my book chapter that I will be discussing and analysing in front of my peers, so that I can be fully prepared.

My weeks are getting more and more productive and this has put me in a better position to feel reassured about my upcoming assignments.
Thank you,
Until next week :smile:


Mariam Humed,
Middlesex University Course Ambassador,
Sociology
Hello everyone,

Welcome to another week in the life of a course ambassador of sociology, it is the penultimate week before the Christmas break and I could not be more excited because I need some time to rest and recuperate. However, before that much needed relaxation time I do have quite some work to do in terms of my dissertation. I have a lot of reading and research lying ahead of me and its quite stressful but I will preserve and get myself through it!

This past week, I received feedback on my critical map assignment for my module which is where we have being doing maps every week and we had to choose one to analyse and write about. I chose the map about dominant discourses about sexuality and this involves discussing sexual expectations from both genders within society, how this has changed and what effect it has had. This was really interesting and I really liked writing about it. My feedback from my lecturer was very detailed which is great because it really helps me hone and develop my skills for next time. My lecturer pointed out that I made some great points, developed good ideas and I related it back to the map however she did highlight that I need to make it more structured and organised. This has helped me tweak and make important changes as the summative one that will be graded and assessed is due next Thursday.

Thank you,
As always if you have any questions or queries please do not hesitate to ask me :smile:

Mariam,
Middlesex University Course Ambassador,
Sociology
Hello everyone,

This past week was my last week at university before the Christmas break and I had a great week towards the end of the week. I had an interesting lecture by an Iranian and Kurdish organisation that helps women who are victims of forced marriage and honour based violence. This lecture was interesting even though the case studies was heart-breaking. My other lectures/seminars ran as normal but was still very engaging and interesting. I wasn’t feeling too well at the start of the week but I made quite a speedy recovery after all.

I have a jam-packed Christmas Break ahead of me filled with writing essays and reports, doing much more reading and research and preparing for my presentation. I will also try to relax and take some time to treat myself and spend more time with friends and family :smile:

Until next week,
Mariam Humed,
Middlesex University Course Ambassador,
Sociology
Hello everyone,

This was my first week of my Christmas Break and I took the first few days to rest, relax and catch up on my favourite programmes. I am now starting to plan my two essays that are due in the week that I get back to university. It’s been productive and so far, I am very happy with my planning and I am following my designated timetable for the Christmas break. Next week I am going to start writing my essay and my report.

In addition, I am going to have to build up my reading and research for my essays as I am planning to achieve the best possible grade. However, everything has gone very well for me and I am pleased with the progress that I have made.

I also got into contact with our employability centre (MDXWorks) who help look over your CV and help with your placements and job opportunities. They helped look over my CV and made a few edits and tweaks so that I present my CV in the best possible way as I applied for a potential internship.

Until next week,
Happy Holidays everyone,

Mariam Humed,
Middlesex University Course Ambassador,
Sociology
Hello everyone,

The past week has been quite ordinary and normal, nothing too exciting or different has happened in my life this week however I have been getting on with my assignments. I have made considerable progress with my essays. During writing my essay, I came across some very interesting journal articles that I have found particularly intriguing. There was one article about citizens being involved in politics through using social media. The article highlighted how engaging with politics and major news stories around the world has become so much easier because people are offering opinions and perceptions throughout social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
It also highlighted how young people engaged with campaign strategies and the election process during Barack Obama’s initial presidency then his re-election. It is great that young people can try and make a difference in this world by simply using their resources like social media to the best of their capability.

However, I did procrastinate slightly and I didn’t make a start on my criminology report however I am going to take full advantage of the week ahead of me to do the most work and complete this essay and report. I am also waiting to hear back from the internship that I applied for to see whether I got it or not so fingers crossed hopefully I did.

As always, if you have any questions you wish to ask me please do not hesitate :smile:

Until next week,
Mariam Humed,
Middlesex University Course Ambassador,
Sociology
Hello everyone,

Happy belated New Year,
It’s my last week before I go back to university next week which I am looking forward to as I am towards the end of my assignments. They are due next Tuesday and Wednesday, and it just needs a little more completion then proofreading then submission.

The past three weeks have felt more like six weeks because of the holiday period, but nevertheless it’s been a great break from uni to rest, recuperate and do some work without any lectures or seminars taking place, even though I do miss my lectures and seminars. It’s a new year and I am already making some personal changes in regards to my personal life at home and at university which I am quite pleased with.

Happy New Year once again :smile:

Until next week,
Mariam Humed,
Middlesex University Course Ambassador,
Sociology
Hello Everyone,

Welcome to another week in the life of a Sociology Course Ambassador, this past week has been good. I have submitted my criminology report so I am far less stressed now which is great. My lectures and seminars have been running as normal and ordinary and I have had a great week in lectures. However, yesterday’s and today’s lectures and seminars were cancelled, which has given me time to catch up on some readings and go over my media essay that’s due to at the end of moth, due to that fact that we got an essay extension deadline.

I have also carried out some course ambassador tasks for this past week which has been very different and interesting, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. This way I have the experience to carry out these tasks again.

Overall, it’s been a very great but also restful week.

Until next week,
Mariam Humed,
Middlesex University Course Ambassador,
Sociology
Hello Everyone,

This past week has been quite ordinary and normal and I have carried on with my studies and my extensive research for my modules. During this week, I did receive feedback about an essay that I got back for my gender module. I was quite happy with my grade and please with my comments.

After my lecture/seminar today, I met with my module tutor to discuss my feedback, she mentioned that I had good ideas and I developed quite a bit but I should develop even further. She also mentioned that I should build up a stronger bibliography of references; which was a very fair comment as I knew that I needed a strong bibliography so it was quite reassuring for me. She seemed quite happy with my assignment overall which is always a good sign.

Short and sweet update for this past week.
Until next week,

P.S please do not hesitate to ask me any questions :smile:

Mariam Humed,
Middlesex University Course Ambassador,
Sociology
Hello everyone,

Hope you are all doing well, I am feeling quite good about this past week which has been super busy but that’s a good thing to be honest. I submitted one of my essays which was a great relief to get it completed and submitted, it is now one less thing that I should worry about.

I also worked at the VIP Offer Holder event yesterday afternoon/evening which I was inviting many students to over the past couple of weeks which turned out to be such a great event with an amazing turnout. I had the opportunity to speak to students and answer any questions/queries, and had some intriguing conversations with students. I also conducted some subject-specific tours which also went well as I had the opportunity to show them the relevant buildings that they will be using for their course alongside our Politics Course Ambassador Sandra.

I hope you all have a great weekend :smile:

Until Next Week,
Mariam Humed,
Middlesex University Course Ambassador,
Sociology
(edited 7 years ago)
Hello Everyone,

Hope everyone is well and I hope all of you have had great weeks.
I am currently working on my literature review for my dissertation which is going great so far! I have thoroughly enjoyed reading different journal articles and book chapters that have highlighted some very interesting research and case studies. I am meeting with my supervisor next week for the 2nd time to discuss the progress I have made regarding my dissertation, which should be very helpful and productive.

I was also expecting to receive my result back regarding my pre-sentence report that I completed for my criminology module, which has been delayed for another week and I am quite nervous for finding out what I got. Hopefully, I pray that I did well as it was an intense piece of work.

Speaking of criminology, this past week in our lecture we discussed child sexual exploitation which was intense and quite unfortunate when you hear about the harrowing statistics. However, It was very intriguing to hear about the steps that are being taken to protect more children and young people in Britain, which is great news!

This coming weekend, I am going to continue to work on my literature review so that I submit the draft version as early as possible before my session with my supervisor.

I hope all of you have great weekends and please do not hesitate to ask me any questions as always :smile:

Until next week,

Mariam Humed,
Middlesex University Course Ambassador,
Sociology
Hello everyone,

Hope you all have had a great week, I have had quite a productive week but also not too productive as usual. I was not feeling well at the start of this week and had to miss lectures, however I am much better now and I have catched up on the work I missed.

I had my session with my dissertation supervisor yesterday and it was very helpful and she gave me great insight into what I should be doing next and reassured me that I am on the right track, which is great news. She also clarified any further research that I should be doing and where I should be looking for this research which I have already started on.

Today, we had a guest lecture from another former lecturer of mine from my first year and she gave us a lecture on Gender and Space, specifically focusing on female cabin crew which was enlightening. I learnt things that I never knew before and has given me another perspective on this area of research.

Until next week, :smile:

Mariam Humed,
Middlesex University Course Ambassador,
Sociology
(edited 7 years ago)
Hello everyone,

We had reading week this past week which is when we have a week off university to catch up on readings and any other work. This is the second one of the year, which proved very productive for myself as I did more further readings specifically for my media module essay for term two. I have chosen to do my essay on media representations of the sexualisation of female athletes, which has proved very interesting and slightly shocking at the same time. It is something of a taboo topic but a topic of great intrigue.

I also was conducting some phone calls as part of a tele-campaign to invite students to our Applicant Day which has been quite enjoyable, it is the second time I am doing these calls and I have become accustomed to them. Having conversations with future students is quite a good thing because I can provide them with information about the course and the university if they were to ask as a few of them already have.

However, I did take a slight break from all this yesterday evening where we had a small family gathering which has been quite a change as I have been so busy with studies.

Overall another great, enjoyable and productive week in my life.

Until next week,
Mariam Humed,
Middlesex University Course Ambassador,
Sociology
Hello everyone,

I had my usual run of lectures and seminars as usual which were as interesting as usual. We covered news agendas and construction in my media module, abusers and perpetrators of children in my criminology module and transgender equality in my gender and sexuality module.

This was filled with such intrigue and interest and as usual I thoroughly enjoyed learning about news concepts, issues and debates that I didn’t know existed before. As for my personal academic life, I have roughly finished my literature review for my dissertation and I am working towards my methodology and ethics chapter, alongside my weekly readings across all modules.

I read an article this week about transgender and micro-aggressions which is how trans-individuals are discriminated against based on their gender and sexuality; which was quite heart-breaking to hear. It was good to read how they conducted the research using online surveys, which is not a usual method used for investigating minorities of any kind. This was outlined in the article that I read, and how the participants liked this form of methodology because it made them more comfortable.

Until next week :smile:

Mariam Humed,
Middlesex University Course Ambassador,
Sociology
This week has been rather busy than other weeks, as I had much more studying to do and event-related activities to complete. I had my usual run of lectures and seminars, yesterday I was involved in taking part in the pre-set up event for today’s North London Higher Education Fair. We were packing up goody bags and setting up our main Quad area ready for the universities and the schools.

We had a guest lecture yesterday on critical writing which was very helpful and productive, as it helped me further understand the minor details that are expected from us from our academic staff. It was held by our linguist and library staff member who is qualified in writing skills. It was a great and insightful session.

On another note, relating back to what I first mentioned the North London Higher Education Fair took place today with schools from North London coming to see Middlesex University as well as many other universities. It was a great event for Year 12’s to explore the options that are available to them when the time comes. Our Quad was absolutely buzzing and it was so great to see so many enthusiastic students having conversations with academics as well as our student ambassadors. I had quite a few students inquiring about their courses that they wanted and it was great to be able to provide them with that information easily.

As always, don’t hesitate to ask me any questions :smile:

Until next week,

Mariam Humed,
Middlesex University Course Ambassador,
Sociology
Hello everyone,

I have continued to have quite a productive and a very busy week. I have made quite good progress with my dissertation and I feel that it is coming along nicely and I’m starting to have more confidence writing it, without being too anxious or nervous which is great.

I also had the opportunity to visit the Brent Museum as part of my gender module to view the Grunwick exhibition, which marked the Grunwick strike in the late 1970’s which included factory workers and post officer workers. This showed solidarity within this community and it was nice to see how everyone came together united to fight for the rights of ethnic minority women in London.

Hope all of you have had a great week :smile:
Until next week,

Mariam Humed,
Middlesex University Course Ambassador,
Sociology

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