Politics and Sociology, 2017
“I wanted to come to Brookes to be part of a fast-developing university that seems to be constantly moving up the league tables! The course particularly attracted me as it is completely unique in allowing the combination of politics and sociology”
Before coming to Oxford Brookes Malika studied in both Astana and Almaty, Kazakhstan; this was followed by a foundation year at Kings International College in Oxford before enrolling to study Politics and Sociology combined honours. She will graduate in 2017.
I chose to study politics and sociology because I have always been interested in politics and its philosophy. In particular I wondered about the structure of the relationships between political figures, and relations between people in a society in general – in sociology especially I wanted to explore the ways that theories that can change a persons the perception of life.
I wanted to come to Brookes to be part of a fast-developing university that seems to be constantly moving up the league tables! The course particularly attracted me as it is completely unique in allowing the combination of politics and sociology. It also provides far more freedom in module choices within the undergraduate programme than any other course I saw! Now that I am studying here I really like the way that both disciplines are interrelated, one with another. Some Sociology modules allow to me look at my Politics modules from different perspectives.
There are a few members of staff that I found particularly inspiring and helpful. Dr Rico Isaacs was one of my first lecturers on the first year; his sense of humour really came across in the lectures which made me feel more comfortable; Dr Matthew Hurley is my favourite professor because he always tries to engage everybody in the discussion of topics. Also, Dr Abbey Halcli is really passionate which constantly inspires me to learn more and stay curious about my subject.
Basically, every society provides an opportunity to meet new people and really engage with student life – I’ve really learnt a lot from taking part in societies and sports teams! In first year I took part in the mixed cricket team between Oxford University and Brookes which taught me a lot about British sport, and in second year I joined the badminton society and tried lots of new classes at the gym so I could meet new people with the same interests in health and leisure. I also joined the politics society and became a course representative, through which I had the opportunity to discuss ideas and improvements with lecturers on my course. Every comment has been counted and the teaching staff are really trying their best to create the best possible environment for their students to learn in.
Oxford city is incredibly student-friendly. It has a fascinating history and there are so many places you can visit. Being in Oxford is also really helpful when it comes to studying, having access to Oxford University facilities like the Bodleian Libraries and the Oxford Union is fantastic. Also, it is very close to London which is incredibly convenient; there are buses every 15 minutes!
In the future I would like to work as part of UNESCO, helping to manage global natural resources. My course will help to get me there in so many ways; for example politics contributes to my understanding of the political structure of inter-state relations and the course is based mainly on self-study which helps to improve my independent learning ability. This course has also taught me to critique everything, to always question things and to try to understand society from different perspectives. Brookes has also helped to make me more attractive to international employers. I am currently taking part in the exchange programme, spending a semester in Australia, and also took the option of learning a new language for free in my first year, choosing Mandarin.
At Oxford Brookes the staff honestly do pay attention to every individual, with international students getting extra help all the time. There are great extras like language modules to help with specific subject vocabulary and presentation skills, International English Club and the Upgrade Service which is there to help everyone who wants to improve their assignments. The university also helps with accommodation, with some halls providing free storage during the summer which is convenient for international students who are going home for the holidays.