Like-minded people
Chances are that you’re very interested in all three of these subjects – politics, economics and philosophy (even if, like me, you have limited exposure to one of the subjects). Chances are you will have been wanting to talk to others about it, and the chances are that most people you will talk to in your day to day life will not be as interested in these subjects as you are.
In the School of PPE, you will have lectures and seminars (and be friends) with people who are as engaged in these subjects as you are. Therefore, you will always have a group around you to enjoy discussing the content with. If this was something you didn’t get to experience in secondary school or college (like myself) then this will be something to look forward to when coming to university. It was great for me because previously, most of the people I interacted with found politics to be all about corrupt individuals, and philosophy and economics both over their heads.
Variety of modules
Obviously, when studying two or three different subjects, you will expect a degree of variation. However, there is a lot to be said about the variation not just between the disciplines, but within the disciplines themselves.
Politics is a fast-paced and ever-changing subject and the modules are able to match this pace. There are modules covering the pressing topics of the day, as well as more general modules. I don’t think I’ve yet been able to think of a politics module I would want to study myself that I have not then found as an option. Obviously, this is purely subjective, but everyone I have talked to has had the same experience.
Almost every area of philosophy can be studied. My personal tip would be to pick the modules that make you think the most. For me, these modules are the ones I am most engaged with when I start studying them and therefore, I find them the most enjoyable. The same goes for economics.
Since there is such a wide range of modules, you only need to pick the ones that you are truly interested in. This makes the experience much better and means that one of the subjects isn’t dragging in comparison to the others (this might have been what I was dreading the most before coming to university).
The PPE family
And, finally. Even when the lectures and seminars stop, it does not mean that we rest.
As a PPE student, you will be a member of the Club of PPE, a student-run society. Your first interaction with them will be meeting your ‘PPE family’, including some of your fellow first-years and some students in their second year. The big advantage of this is that the second-year students can help show you the ropes and are great at dealing with any issues you are having with the course or just life in York during your first year. The fact that you are also with fellow first-year students also means that you can guide each other through, there are people who were in my PPE family that I’m still friends with to this day.
The society also hosts many different events such as pub crawls across York, game show nights and a Winter Ball (where everyone dresses up and goes for a three-course meal somewhere). There is such a wide range of things that the society puts on that we would be here all day if I were to go through them all.
You will have the time of your life studying at York and the School of PPE will be a big part of that. Not only do they offer a wide range of interesting and engaging modules and pair you with students who are as engaged in the subjects as you are, but they also help host a wide range of events.
In my two years here, I have never been bored and these are the big reasons as to why. If you come here, I’m sure you’ll feel the same.
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