Hi readers, I am looking to go back to university to study for a master’s. However, I am bamboozled by the options!
Choosing my undergraduate course was relatively(!) straightforward. Choose the A-Level subject I enjoyed the most (sociology), rule out Oxbridge (way above my league), rule out the likes of Durham, Manchester, Exeter (out of my grasp) then have a sniff around Birmingham, Sheffield, Liverpool (Russell Group unis I could get into that were far from home). Applications, done.
I have a 2:1 and in theory all the doors are open to me. But I am overwhelmed by options. Courses are more niche and specific and I don’t even know how to narrow my options down or how to judge whether I could successfully get onto a course or not.
So, I need some help. Here is a brief rundown of my areas of interest:
Linguistics – I’m fascinated by languages, by accents and dialects. How they are viewed and the meaning we place on them. I once ranked every British accent I was aware of in personal preference and offered up a celebrity with the nicest voice and version of that accent. Obviously, it enraged a few people.
Class – I’m British, so I’m obsessed with all things around class. In particular I’m fascinated by educational attainment – the importance of learned cultural behaviour, material circumstances and genetics and how they interact to govern someone’s life chances. I’m also fascinated by class, integration and assimilation of different groups and ethnicities.
International Development – I am fascinating by the idea of ‘nation building’ and how civil society is formed and why in certain regions, it can take root and in others, it crumbles. I’d love to better understand the ethnic, religious, material, geographical and historical conditions that effect democratic institution building. As a liberal internationalist I want to see civil society, human rights and rules based systems flourish globally and I want to understand why some areas form democracies around a nation state.
Urbanism – I have an interest in the built environment and what makes places ‘liveable’. I find the importance of neighbourhoods to us really interesting, how a neighbourhood creates an ‘identity’ and how these identities are subject to change and evolution.
One thing that draws me to politics is the way that politicians have to be mini-polymaths. I have a very varied array of interests – it’s why I love Twitter – I can skim the surface learning a little bit about lots of topics. I’m great at pub quizzes and an expert in nothing. I’m in some ways apprehensive about deep diving into an extremely niche area or topic that can become a dead end – as it doesn’t provide scope to help me understand broader issues or allow me to move across into new areas of interest.
I have no idea about what career I’d like to go into and most likely, I’d like to continue in academia once I complete my master’s. Unless I absolutely hates it, of course.
I am happy to relocate out of London for a course that is right for me. I may even relocate abroad (but nowhere beyond a short haul flight home thanks) because I’d love to experience a new culture and learn a new language while studying. Preferably, I’d want to live somewhere with a lower cost of living than London! Oh and of course, any course must be taught in English.
If you have any ideas of any master’s programmes I should look into and your reasons why, please reply to his blog or reply to me on Twitter.
Many thanks,
Layo
