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Which uni course

Is English lit and creative writing a decent course? Is History better? Right now I'm stuck between English and History. I have to apply for uni soon and I *still* haven't decided on a course. Should I just apply to both and make a broad personal statement or are better personal statements ones that stick to one subject?
I would really love some advice. Which course is more enjoyable/generally better? Has anyone here done either? Thanks!
Have you tried writing 2 PSs. One for each. Writing a page about what you like about a subject and what you’re looking forward to studying in more detail is a really good way to figure out which subject you genuinely prefer.
Original post by cristalat101
Is English lit and creative writing a decent course? Is History better? Right now I'm stuck between English and History. I have to apply for uni soon and I *still* haven't decided on a course. Should I just apply to both and make a broad personal statement or are better personal statements ones that stick to one subject?
I would really love some advice. Which course is more enjoyable/generally better? Has anyone here done either? Thanks!

Hiya! :smile:

I totally understand you. When I attempted to choose a course for the first time, I was stuck between Business and Psychology. What helped me the most was a deep reflection rather than people's opinions, as you know yourself the best. The truth is that you are very much capable of listening to yourself and figuring out the best option for you!

Give yourself a long and deep reflection. The more honest and reflective you are, the better you get to know yourself. Ask yourself some key questions:

Which one of these subjects was the most enjoyable at school?

Do your hobbies align with any of these courses?

What are you good at?

What are the things you would do without being pushed by life or motivated by money?

When you think of a perfect job, what are your responsibilities, and what qualities should it have?


Now, research these degrees in-depth, so that you see which one is better suited for you and your answers.

If you are struggling, consider visiting the academic advisor at your school. Let them provide you with valuable and professional advice.

I hope it was helpful! Fingers crossed for your exploration! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. You can also chat with me and other students through The Ambassador Platform.

Take care,

Julia
Psychology student
De Montfort University
Original post by cristalat101
Is English lit and creative writing a decent course? Is History better? Right now I'm stuck between English and History. I have to apply for uni soon and I *still* haven't decided on a course. Should I just apply to both and make a broad personal statement or are better personal statements ones that stick to one subject?
I would really love some advice. Which course is more enjoyable/generally better? Has anyone here done either? Thanks!

Hi @cristalat101,

It's totally normal to be struggling to pick between two courses - it's a big decision!

Firstly, if you haven't already, try looking into the modules of each course at the universities you're considering. It might be that some modules explore areas of both courses, or are of more interest to you. For example, our English Literature course has modules such as Victorian Literature and English through the ages, both of which include a lot of history and would give you your history 'fix'!

You can check out the modules here:
https://www.glos.ac.uk/courses/course/his-ba-history/
https://www.glos.ac.uk/courses/course/elt-ba-english-literature/

Secondly, have you considered what career you want to pursue with your degree? Is one course more likely to lead into that career path than the other? If you need support with this, speak to the careers staff at your school/college, and they should be able to give you an insight into what degree would be more beneficial to achieve this.

I hope this helps, and I wish you all the best with your decision. Feel free to ask any more questions!

Mara🙂
Original post by cristalat101
Is English lit and creative writing a decent course? Is History better? Right now I'm stuck between English and History. I have to apply for uni soon and I *still* haven't decided on a course. Should I just apply to both and make a broad personal statement or are better personal statements ones that stick to one subject?
I would really love some advice. Which course is more enjoyable/generally better? Has anyone here done either? Thanks!

Hi!

I think it's perfectly normal you're in a dilemma about this. At the same time, the subjects you're interested in can very easily be linked. So, even if you chose to study English and Creative Writing for example, you can always use your passion for history to go deeper into the material and understand it better.

Our English course has a module called Reading Literature, where all the major works are covered and close read, from the Ancient times up to now. I will link both BA in History and English pages on here so you can look at the modules offered:
https://www.uos.ac.uk/study/ba-english/
https://www.uos.ac.uk/study/ba-history/

It's good that you are asking questions, the best way to decide is to gather as much information as possible and then see which one looks more appealing to you.

You can also chat to our other students on the UniBuddy app or through our site!

Hope that helps and keep exploring!
Milena 😊
Original post by cristalat101
Is English lit and creative writing a decent course? Is History better? Right now I'm stuck between English and History. I have to apply for uni soon and I *still* haven't decided on a course. Should I just apply to both and make a broad personal statement or are better personal statements ones that stick to one subject?
I would really love some advice. Which course is more enjoyable/generally better? Has anyone here done either? Thanks!

Hi, it's a tough decision, it would be useful to reflect on:

Which of the two you enjoy the most?
Why you want to study them at university?
What potential career prospects you see with English and History after university?

It's also worth looking at university prospectuses to see what a degree in English and History entails at each university and decide whether these appeal to you and which universities you'd like to study at. and Upon Reflection, if you decide you'd still like to pursue both at university you can split your personal statement and write about each subject and apply to a joint degree programme.

Hope this helps!
Z
UG Arabic & IR

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