Hello, it’s Heather. I’m going to try and narrow it down to just five things to look forward to at York: meeting new people, opportunities, course content, and finally the city of York itself.
Meeting new people
I would first like to mention meeting new people. I know that this can be a daunting aspect of moving to university. However, there is no need to worry! Everyone is in the same boat and meeting new people is one of the most exciting parts of university life. Philosophy is certainly a subject where you are bound to debate with people so I think it is especially easy to make friends. This is definitely something to look forward to because your university friends can be your friends for life!
Opportunities
The university offers plenty of opportunities and ways to get involved. Personally, I joined societies. Currently, during my second year, I have joined the committee of a new society which gives me new responsibilities. This is just an example of the types of things you might look forward to! Similarly, societies are also a great way of meeting new people with similar interests. One of the societies I joined in first year was Philsoc. This is the Philosophy Society and is the place I met some of my best friends at university. Throughout my first year they hosted drinking events, film screenings and they also had several impressive speakers. Societies are something I would strongly encourage you to get involved in, there is something for everyone!
Course content
If you’re coming to York to study Philosophy I can imagine you’re excited by the subject! Personally, I came across so many new areas of philosophy that I didn’t know existed until university. During your first year you will have set modules that cover a range of topics. This will allow you to have a reasonably good idea of which areas interest you enough to then choose your modules for the next year. The ability to choose what you study at university is refreshing, and I would definitely say it helped with my independence. During my second year I have chosen to study religious ethics and the ethics of artificial intelligence.
Philosophy at York
I would also like to mention the support from the Philosophy staff. I would say that joining a university with staff as welcoming as them is something to look forward to. During your first year you will get assigned a member of academic staff as your supervisor. This is someone who will stay with you throughout your studies until you graduate. This is something that helped me settle in at university because I knew I had someone to ask for help if I ever needed it. As well as this, you will be in contact with plenty of members of staff, all of whom I’m sure you will be pleased to meet.
The city of York
The city of York is beautiful and somewhere you will come to know very well. York is a smaller city which I personally found more suited to me. The town centre is easily within walking distance from university, and the city walls make a perfect walking route. York also holds an abundance of smaller cafes and restaurants which I would recommend exploring. Throughout my second year I have begun running. I think this is a great way to stay fit whilst exploring the city I live in. From this, I have found lots of new walking paths and I have better knowledge of where I live.
Overall, there are so many reasons why you should look forward to university! There simply doesn’t seem to be enough time to share them all. Remember that everyone is in the same boat and try and make the most of every opportunity!
Thank you for reading! I hope to see you at York!
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