Politics

People who have done/ are doing a politics degree tell me everything about it please!!!!!!

Is it hard?
Was it worth it?
What's it about?
What fields are you going into?
Is it essay based?

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 1

Sylveonee

5

Hii! So I'm currently on my second masters degree. For reference, I did my Bsc in International Relations and Politics; first MSc on Human Rights and Politics and my second MSc in Conflict Studies. It is difficult but I honestly love it. You question things you never thought you'd even be looking at. You learn more about society and human nature than you normally would if you weren't exposed to political material. It is very much so essay based as Politics degrees are graded more on your ability to analyze and form academic opinions over a variety of topics.

I'm looking to go into research and probably work in an org regarding ethnic conflict and the politics of belonging. Hope this helps :smile:

Feel free to ask me anything!

Reply 2

yesyes44

OP

4

Original post by Sylveonee

Hii! So I'm currently on my second masters degree. For reference, I did my Bsc in International Relations and Politics; first MSc on Human Rights and Politics and my second MSc in Conflict Studies. It is difficult but I honestly love it. You question things you never thought you'd even be looking at. You learn more about society and human nature than you normally would if you weren't exposed to political material. It is very much so essay based as Politics degrees are graded more on your ability to analyze and form academic opinions over a variety of topics.

I'm looking to go into research and probably work in an org regarding ethnic conflict and the politics of belonging. Hope this helps :smile:

Feel free to ask me anything!

Thank you so much this was so helpful I was looking into it and really thought I would like it. When you say its hard what do you think id the most difficult thing about it ?

Honestly I'm not too sure if i want to go into politics career wise as i was just going to do teaching(at primary level) instead but wanted to do politics because i think i would enjoy it but who knows i might discover a career path whilst doing the degree.

Im so torn im not sure what to do because im doing biochem right now but its just a foundation year so i could switch and i dont think science is completely for me i mean i could probably do it but im not interested in it. IM SOOOOOO TORN because i could get a good job if i do biochem but i know i would really enjoy politics

im sorry this is so long hahah im so stressed out about this because i need to decide and write a personal statement if im switching

Reply 3

Sylveonee

5

Original post by yesyes44

Thank you so much this was so helpful I was looking into it and really thought I would like it. When you say its hard what do you think id the most difficult thing about it ?

Honestly I'm not too sure if i want to go into politics career wise as i was just going to do teaching(at primary level) instead but wanted to do politics because i think i would enjoy it but who knows i might discover a career path whilst doing the degree.

Im so torn im not sure what to do because im doing biochem right now but its just a foundation year so i could switch and i dont think science is completely for me i mean i could probably do it but im not interested in it. IM SOOOOOO TORN because i could get a good job if i do biochem but i know i would really enjoy politics

im sorry this is so long hahah im so stressed out about this because i need to decide and write a personal statement if im switching

Haha don't worry!! I was in the same boat before and I know how stressful it can be. I used to be a history major before I dropped out and reapplied for politics and ir so I get the struggle.

So let me answer in order. I think the most difficult thing about it is challenging your own perceptions. It's almost like an identity crisis in a way - it forces you to think twice about every norm and tradition you may have encountered in your background, and it's impacts on everyone around you. I'm not going to lie and say that it's a pleasant feeling, when you begin to understand how bad the political situation is (especially when everyone else doesn't seem to care) but its something that, at least to me, drives me to write. Politics and IR are both very writing-heavy degrees, and it so it can be difficult because the readings can sometimes be long and tedious. But it's really fun when you're actually sitting there and writing, once the reading part is over. I'm currently in LSE, and I can say its a really nice feeling to be treated as academic equals with professors when it comes to writing and publishing research and forming your own opinions, rather than reiterating theories and equations.

It's a really common misconception that you have to get into politics career wise. There are literally 200+ career options for you, from journalism to political advisory to even social work. You can still go back and be a teacher if you so choose - an even more informed one at that. One thing I always tell my juniors is to not think about a job when applying for your degree, especially in the social sciences field. IF you like the subject, and are interested in studying more, go for it. Job opportunities will find you, trust me. If your heart isn't in biochem, don't go for it, because in the end of the day, you will be stuck in a job situation that you really don't want to be in.

If you'd like to know anything else, I'm always here to help :smile:

Reply 4

journeyaway

21

I really enjoyed my Politics degree, although I did it overseas (I'm not UK based). There were always essays to write, and the exams were heavily essay-based too. Critical thinking is an important aspect so you learn how to analyse and deconstruct concepts, instead of take everything at face value. It's a useful skill because in today's world there's an increasing emphasis on problem solving. There's a lot of theory but that tends to be accompanied by case studies, so you get a good idea of how these theories are explored.

I did my Politics degree with a Law degree and this combination has taken me to great places. While I started out as a lawyer, I moved into policy work and can say that the Politics aspect has been really useful.

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