Philippa gives us an insider’s-guide to the sociology degree course at Nottingham…

Name: Philippa Rowney
Course: Sociology
Institution: University of Nottingham

’I chose Nottingham because it was high up in the league tables, and it was also the most open campus I could find. I took English, Spanish and economics at A-level and although I enjoyed them, I didn’t want to continue any of them.

One of the reasons I like my degree is because of how broad it is – I’ve been able to study social history and politics modules, for example. Plus, you can choose modules from outside the School and give them a sociological slant. It didn’t matter that I hadn’t studied sociology before I came to Nottingham.

One of my favourite modules was War and Peace, because the teacher was so knowledgeable. He didn’t need any notes – he was able to speak freely about what he was teaching and could answer any question you asked him. In fact, the lecturers have usually written several books about their subjects, so you can be sure they know what they’re talking about.

I found that there’s a lot of scope for independent study on this course, and you can focus on the things you’re interested in. The libraries really help – the laptop hire service is particularly good because you don’t have to lug yours in every day.

When I look at the breadth of my degree, I know I’m well-placed to go into lots of different careers. You learn lots of transferable skills with a sociology degree, like communicating and working independently.’