history students what is studying like

12

hi, prospective history student for university here. I'm wondering what a day in your life is like studying history at uni...what do you spend the most time doing, how long would you say you study for, any tips for history students..

Reply 1

ageshallnot

21

Original post

by Frxstyx

hi, prospective history student for university here. I'm wondering what a day in your life is like studying history at uni...what do you spend the most time doing, how long would you say you study for, any tips for history students..

In the library, reading and taking notes.

Treat it as a full time job.

Reply 2

UEA Rep Tiffany

8

Hi @Frxstyx

During your first year of university you will have three modules per term, each module will have its own designated lectures and seminars each week. Classes can range from 50 minutes to two hours. Most of your time will be built around independent study time, this is organised by yourself. You should spend your time ensuring you complete all your compulsory reading, complete any worksheets set, makes notes, and prepare for your assessments.

Our students at UEA will also likely include time to socialise, this can be time spent at one of our societies or sports clubs. We also offer loads of events at the LCR, which you can check out via our Su. A part time job is also another way to spend your time, and will provide you with a great learning experience. UEA offers a variety of work, plus there is always lots going on in our city centre too.

It’s definitely a great idea to spend some time in the library too! We have lots of resources including our very own archive, and access to computers.

My tips would be to make notes on all readings in one document, so as soon as assessments role around you have all your information all in one area. I would also start preparing for your assessments early, and make sure you complete your formative assessment- these will really help you when its comes to being graded on the real thing! Additionally, make sure you prioritise your mental health, spend lots of time outdoors and socialising as it can get lonely sometimes at uni.

Here is also a link to our course https://www.uea.ac.uk/course/undergraduate/ba-history. Our next open day is the 25th of October https://www.uea.ac.uk/visit/uni-open-days. If you would also like to speak to a current history student visit https://www.uea.ac.uk/ask-us, via Unibuddy.

I hope that helps!
UEA REP Tiffany

Original post

by Frxstyx

hi, prospective history student for university here. I'm wondering what a day in your life is like studying history at uni...what do you spend the most time doing, how long would you say you study for, any tips for history students..

(edited 2 months ago)

Reply 3

AiméeRose

4

I only have a couple lectures per module so spend most of the time reading, as this includes compulsory and wider reading. I make a lot of notes about that reading, especially for seminars. Some time is spent writing essays. But I also have time to go out, take part in societies and sports, do hobbies etc and I think it’s really important to take breaks from reading to do other things! My biggest tip would be to enjoy it - I love learning about new things and reading which makes it more fun! Also that not everything needs to be read fully, sometimes just the introduction and conclusion or skimming through it is enough.

Reply 4

Bmth Uni Harvey

Official Rep

5

Original post

by Frxstyx

hi, prospective history student for university here. I'm wondering what a day in your life is like studying history at uni...what do you spend the most time doing, how long would you say you study for, any tips for history students..

Hi @Frxstyx,

Feel free to check out Bournemouth University's blog page, here you will find blogs from previous and current history students (like myself) into the course here: https://microsites.bournemouth.ac.uk/student-blog/?s=history

However, to break it down, typically the BA History course here is structured around independent study. You will have around 3 hours of contact time per unit, per week - you sit 3 at any one time. There are also guidelines on how much independent study is expected of you, for instance for every 1,000 words in an assignment you are expected to have spent 10 hours of independent study (i.e. 30 hours of study for a 3,000 word essay).

So in short, you will find yourself studying in the library fairly often, whether thats alone or in groups is down to personal discretion. You will also have set readings for your lectures and seminars alongside a unit reading list. You are expected to do these to help with your understanding of the taught content.

I hope this helps!

Reply 5

MMU-UGStudentRep

Official Rep

9

Original post

by Frxstyx

hi, prospective history student for university here. I'm wondering what a day in your life is like studying history at uni...what do you spend the most time doing, how long would you say you study for, any tips for history students..

Hi @Frxstyx,

I'm a second year history student at Manchester Met. I'd say most of my time is spent reading, preparing for seminars, and working on essays. You'd have a few contact hours a week (I have 8), but the bulk of history is independent work. I spend a few hours of the day reading and making notes, then more time closer to the deadlines I dedicate to thorough researching and writing. Weekly reading lists are definitely really helpful when it comes to essays so staying on top of the reading for seminars makes life 10x easier. The key is pacing yourself - doing a bit regularly makes essay szn so much easier.

tips:

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keep up with weekly readings

•

start essays early (at least a detailed structure)

•

use the office hours!

•

it may feel like a big jump, don't stress!

•

treat it like a 9-5 - if you're free try not to rush home ASAP, get some readings done in the breaks between contact hours and after.

Weirdly, my social life isn't completely squashed, I still have plenty of time to go to events, meet with friends, and just chill. The biggest tip is to learn an effective time management. If you have that knuckled down to a tee, it makes the journey a lot more smooth sailing!

If you have any other questions do let me know!

All the best,

Innaya
MMU Student Rep x

Reply 6

JACKLHU

Official Rep

5

Original post

by Frxstyx

hi, prospective history student for university here. I'm wondering what a day in your life is like studying history at uni...what do you spend the most time doing, how long would you say you study for, any tips for history students..

Hi @Frxstyx,

Hope you are well.

I thought I would message on the thread here to let you know we offer History at Liverpool Hope.

I have linked the course page below for you to check out. There is a lot of information on the page, including a course overview, curriculum from what is covered in year 1 to year 3. In addition to this, the page has career information advising about what the degree can lead onto after completing it.

https://www.hope.ac.uk/undergraduate/undergraduatecourses/history/

In terms of study time here, in year 1 you would be in 12 hours a week of contact time. This is split between lectures, seminars and tutorials. Then beyond year 1 you would be in for 10 hours a week, with expectation of extra hours outside of University to do further research and work on assessments.

I did not study History myself, but I do have some general advice when considering University. Attend any Open days if you can, go check out 2/3 different Universities and see if they are the right place for you! We do have one Next week, however this may be short notice, but if you did want to come check out Liverpool Hope we do run campus tours each week.

Hoping this post is useful, and wish you all the best.

Jack

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