Hello! Welcome to the University of Manchester, and congratulations on securing a place on the BSocSci Politics & International Relations course! We are guessing this is just one of many booklets you`ve had advising you about University life and how to survive welcome week and first year, but this Crucial Guide really is the one you should read since it`s been put together by people on your course who have experienced all the things you want and need to know about! So give this booklet a chance and we promise it will be worth your while!
Mia Strand Junior Peer Mentor Coordinator Peer Mentors 2013-14 BSocSci Politics & International Relations
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Mentors Who, what and why ? For all of us, arriving at Manchester was probably the most nerve-racking and exciting experience we’ve had in awhile! If you’re like most of us, you’ll be arriving here without knowing anyone else at all. So you might start worrying; what if you have nothing in common with your flatmates or coursemates? What if the course isn’t what you expected? What if, what if!? e first few weeks are always going to be full of ‘what ifs’ and that’s where we come in as mentors. Each of you will be allocated someone from the second year of the course who, if you let them, can become not only a source of handy social and academic tips, but a great friend as well. During welcome week, you will be assigned with and given the contact information of your Academic Advisor. Your Academic Advisor will be your personal tutor during your degree. For each module you will also have a seminar leader who can help you with their subject, but they’re not always easy to find! While the people such as the Academic Advisor and Programme Director are assigned to the pastoral care of the students; there may be times, especially at the beginning of the year, when you might not feel able to go to these people with a problem for whatever reason. So if you have any problems, come to us! We’ve gone through the same experience, know how things work around here and can point you in the right direction, whatever the problem. And we’re not just here for the big problems! If you need general tips on essays, exams or coursework in general, we’ve done those modules, or know someone who has, and know the tricks of the trade.2
First year is all about fun, and the last thing you want is to be worrying all the time about work and whether you’re doing it right! We can help you get it out of the way smoothly, so you can pass as well as make the most of the first year social life. Come second year, all those exams and essays will start to count towards your degree, so first year is the time to do as much as you can on the social front! After all, there is nothing quite like being a Fresher at Manchester University!
Now let’s introduce ourselves...
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Name: Mia Strand Email: miavstrand@gmail.com Halls: Flat in Fallowfield Richmond Park Free Choice Modules: Pre-Intermediate Spanish (1) Philosophy and Social Science (2)
A little bit about myself I am 21 and originally from Oslo, Norway. I am this year’s Peer Mentor Junior Coordinator and with that I have the responsibility for the Peer Mentors and that you all get the help you need from us. I love studying Politics at the University of Manchester, and I found myself settling into this new city surprisingly fast, even though the weather still surprises me every day, sunny or rainy! The University has everything you need or look for, if you are interested in Sports, Art, Music, Languages or just Politics, and I have found Manchester to live up to all of my expectations. Furthermore, there are just too many different places to hang out with your friends to grab a drink or dance, whatever time of the week. I also find Manchester the perfect place if you want to engage in different extra-curricular activities, with a broad range of societies and work-shops. So I hope you are as excited as I am for the 2013-2014 year at University of Manchester, and I’m looking forward to see you all in September! 3
Name: Victoria Pihl Sorensen Email: victoria.sorensen@student.manch ester.ac.uk Halls: Woolton Hall Free Choice Modules: Microeconomic Principles (1) Macroeconomic Principles (2) Elementary Arabic (2)
A little bit about myself I’m a 21-year-old Danish EU student, and couldn’t be happier about studying in England. At first, I didn’t think that I’d end up studying in Manchester, and so I knew very little about the university and the city when I first arrived. However, today Manc and I are best buds, so don’t worry if you feel insecure about moving to a new city – by the end of your 1st year you won’t be able to imagine yourself living anywhere else. The university itself, of course, is great and filled with many opportunities for student activities. Although, what I have come to love the most, is the diversity of the city and everything it has to offer. If I were to say one thing you absolutely cannot miss as a first year’s, it is to take some time off, jump on a bus, walk around, explore and feel the vibe of the amazing student city Manchester truly is.
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Name: Sunny Yu Email: sunny_sze_yin_yu@yahoo.co.uk Halls: Victoria Hall Free Choice Modules: Languages of the World (1) Intro to Development (2) Further French (2)
A little bit about myself Proud BBC (British-Born Chinese), born and raised in the beautiful (insert laugh) city of Stoke-on-Trent which is around midway between Manchester and Birmingham. I love Manchester, mostly because it’s such a multicultural city, which I really believe elevates it above other cities in the UK. For our degree, being in contact with people from around the world can really give you an insight into how politics and life works in other countries - this year around half of my closest friends are international students from places as far apart as Australia, Japan, Canada, Brazil and South Africa just to name a few! I lived (and will still be living) in Victoria Hall on the Victoria Park campus – it’s only a 15-minute walk to uni and not too loud which is perfect for me. It also means that I could be your flatmate if you’ve applied to that hall! My advice to first years would be to work hard and play hard, socialising is a huge (and fun) part of uni but make sure that you save some time for working! Enjoy the rest of your summer holiday, if you have any questions before4 arriving feel free to contact me and I’ll see you come September!
Name: Jessica Waugh Email: Jessica.waugh@student.manchester.ac.k Halls: Fairfield Hall Free Choice Modules: Beginners French (1) Work, Society and Organisations (2)
A little bit about myself I’m 19 years old and I come from quite a small town in Lincolnshire. Moving to a big city like Manchester was a bit scary, as I knew no one else going, but it was so easy to settle in and meet new people. Not only is the UoM Politics department one of the best, the city is amazing also and has so many things to do no matter what you like. My advice is to not take everything too seriously and enjoy yourself by joining societies, going out and meeting as many people as possible!
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Name: Maheen Hussain Email: maheen.hussain-3@student.manchester.ac.uk
Halls: Lived at home Free Choice Modules: Media, Culture and Society (1) Media, Culture and Society (2)
A little bit about myself By the time you all meet me in September, I’ll be 19 years old (my birthday is in August so when you get this I’ll still be 18 for a while!) I was born in Manchester and it truly is a wonderful city to live in. It’s always lively and there is so much for you to explore here. Studying Politics and IR at the University of Manchester has possibly been one of my best decisions, as the politics department here is one of the very best. Try to get involved in activities inside and outside the university as much as possible because it’s the easiest way for you to meet new people and enjoy the university as much as possible. If you do have any questions, feel free to get in contact. I hope you all have a great summer and I look forwards to meeting you all in September!
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Name: Karl Vikat Email: karlv@orange.fr Halls: Whitworth Park Free Choice Modules: Culture & Power (1) Intro to Development (2) Spanish (2)
A little bit about myself I’m 19, born in Tallinn, Estonia and currently Geneva, Switzerland is my home. I’ve definitely enjoyed living in Manchester, great vibe and people, many places to see and experience. My tip to you is that although it is unknown terrain, don’t worry too much, your time is way better spent if you let Manchester welcome you with open arms. Also, embrace the chances the university offers you to get involved. Yes, it can’t be stressed enough, joining societies and sports teams lets you fit right in plus there are usually socials organized regularly. Let me know if you have any questions, apart from that - enjoy your summer and see you in Manchester
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Name: Olivia Nieberg Email: olivianieberg@live.co.uk Halls: Richmond Park Free Choice Modules: Modernity to Post Modernity (1) Work Organizations and Society (2)
A little bit about myself I’m Olivia and am from Hertfordshire, which is about half an hour just north of London. Coming to university in Manchester last year was rather daunting, especially as I had only ever visited Manchester once before, and hadn’t even seen what accommodation I was going to be living in. However, I have absolutely no regrets about choosing to study Politics and International relations here, not only because the course has been so well organized and has offered me so much, but also because the city of Manchester is just so great and exciting. First year goes so quickly, and if I was to give any advice it would be to talk to everyone and ask lots of questions! Whether it’s to your course friends, flat mates, lecturers, bus drivers, or Paz from Kebab King (warning, if you’re in Fallowfield, Kebab King and its famous cheesy chips will draw you in on a regular basis), it really does help you feel involved with everything. If you ever need any advice or have questions to do with the course, or even just want to ask general questions about nights out or a good place for cheap clothes/food, just ask! I was in your position just a year ago, and I’ve already started referring to Manchester as a second home! See you in September. 6
Name: Marianne Strøm Email: marianne.strom@student.manchester.ac. uk
Halls: Richmond Park Free Choice Modules: The making of Europe (1) Work, Organisation and society (2)
A little bit about myself I’m 20 years old and I was born and raised in Oslo, Norway and this year I am one of the Peer Mentors. Manchester is the perfect student city, where you have enough opportunities and culture to explore, but you will also get from A-B quickly as the city is not too big in size. For first year at University, especially if you are an international student, my advice to you is to relax and remind yourself that you have worked hard to be here and you should enjoy your course and your new home!
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Name: Alice Blukacz Email: ablukacz@wanadoo.fr Halls: Burkhardt House
Free Choice Modules: Media, Culture and Society (1) Further Spanish (2)
A little bit about myself Hi I'm Alice and I am 18. I am originally from France, but I spent most of my life in Geneva. I love travelling and discovering new places, so coming to study in Manchester was a great opportunity for me as an international student. During my first year I lived in Burkhardt House, Victoria Park, which is a very nice place, very close from the main campus. I first came here I did not know anyone but making new friends was very easy. I really enjoy studying here and meeting new people from around the world. Manchester is an interesting and lively city, and I promise you will never get bored! The nightlife is great, both in Fallowfield and in the City Centre, around Oxford Road Station or in the Northern Quarter. would recommend you take the opportunity to take a language module as it is a good way to improve your curriculum. If you have any question, don't be shy to ask! I'm looking forward to meeting you all in September! 7
Name: Jenny Mashford Email: jennymashford@hotmail.com Halls: Owens Park (Tree Court) Free Choice Modules: Microeconomical principles (1) Macroeconomical principles (2) Work, Organizations and Society (2) A little bit about myself I am Jenny Mashford, and in year one I stayed in Owens Park in Tree Court. I am 19 and originally from Brighton. I have loved coming to Manchester and have particularly enjoyed becoming part of FuseFM, the student radio. As well as just exploring Manchester - particularly the nightlife! It can be very easy to save money in Manchester, particularly if your in catered accommodation, just try not to buy extra food in between meals! Another great saving is the yearly bus saver, it will save you so much because you will end up using it all of the time, and it is way cheaper than getting taxis back after a night out. Manchester is a very lively city with lots of interesting things to go and see, I particularly love shopping in the Northern Quarter where you get a massive range of different shops/bars/cafes.
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Name: Sofia Muùoz Gonzalez Email:sofia.munozgonzalez@student.ma nchester.ac.uk Halls: Sheavyn House Free choice modules: Culture and Society: An Introduction to Social Anthropology (1) Beginners Arabic (2) A litte bit about myself: I´m a 21-year old international student, born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden with parents from South America. Moving from Sweden to study in England has been a great experiences but also a very different one, considering I moved from one country to another and will be staying here for two more years. It did not take me long to get used to Manchester, and I can now call it my second home, after a great first year. As a city Manchester has a lot to offer to students both in terms of city life and academic life, and I am sure you will enjoy it. Try and make the most out of your first year, go out, have fun and meet new and interesting people.
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Tips Free Choice Modules - You will have 40 credits free to study what you want... but there are so many options you might find it hard to choose! Confused? Here are some of the options we chose... Macro economics principles. Work, Organisation and Society I chose economics as two of my optional modules. In semester 1 I had Microeconomics, and for semester 2 I chose ’Introduction to macro-economic principles’. I have never been very excited about economics and maths and numbers for that matter. However, this module is a great introduction to national economics, which admittedly is fairly important when it comes to discussing national policies. I found it to be very useful combined with the politics-modules, and if possible, I will definitely continue with economics next year as well.
Critical inking I enjoyed taking Critical inking during my first semester. I had two lectures a week and one tutorial. e topics were interesting and logical. ere was no coursework to do, which meant I could focus on other subjects. e exam’s format was very straight forward and you could use past papers to predict what topics would come up in the exam. ere are no essays as such, which means that it is easier to get higher marks than some other modules. I would definitely recommend taking Critical inking.
Work, Society and Organisation is a sociology course that is one exam and two compulsory non-assessed essays. e non-assessed essays are really good for practicing the topics, and it makes the exam so much easier. I liked the course and it is quite easy, but I would only recommend it if you actually do have an interest in it rather than just wanting something easy to pass, as it makes having the effort to do the non-assessed essays so much harder!
Languages of the World Although not normally offered as a module which Politics and IR students can take as their free module (I had to email the course director and convince him that this module was useful to my studies), this linguistics module was extremely interesting! It teaches you about language families, their evolution and how languages are related, which can be helpful for those who are interested about the politics of minority languages and how languages affect nation states. I strongly recommend it (although you must have a strong argument for picking this module)! It doesn’t take up much time either – just a one hour lecture every week and a fortnightly one hour tutorial!
Media, Culture and Society 1 (Semester 1) Media, Culture and society 1 focuses on the technological aspects of media, such as video games, print media, TV and visual entertainments and social media and the impact that they have had on society. As well as looking at theory aspects, such as Marxist beliefs, the focus is very much on how media has technologically advanced over time and how that has impacted society. If you’re interested in the history of the media forms then you will enjoy it!
Culture & Power As an anthropology module with a political component, it offers a great way to look at the world and everyday social life from another perspective. It makes you think about apparent givens, yourself and the society you live in, and explains greater social relations through culturespecific practices. e lecturer is enthusiastic and you’ll also get to know concepts that come in handy later in your studies.
Intermediate Spanish Studying Spanish was a great experience, and the lectures was incredible helpful and interesting. It was fun to study something completely different than politics and philosophy, and sometimes it felt like a good Media, Culture and society 2 break from neo-liberalism and consent (semester 2) theory. e classes are very small, which To study media, culture and society 2 in means that you get a lot of follow up, and semester 2, it is not vital for you to have done much help from the teachers. Furthermore, media, culture and society 1 in semester 1. If you get a great feeling of learning something you have an interest in the way that the media directly useful that you can practice in real affects society and politics as well as media life. I recommend everybody to take a LEAP power, then this is the unit for you! In this unit, course, especially if you have an interest in you look at the different ways media affect travelling and communicating with people society, through advertising and branding, from different cultures! ownership of media outlets amongst other key areas, and how that has affected society. Another part of the unit focuses on media representation and how that impacts society. Politics and media lovers will enjoy this unit!
More Tips Don’t buy a bus pass until you get here and find out which one your flatmates/coursemates have; there are several different companies and you don’t want to have to get on a different bus to everyone on a night out!
Explore Manchester in your first month or two! It’s a fantastic city with loads of offer, whether you’re into clubbing, theatre, food, music or anything else you can think of! Check out facebook groups such as “I know this great little place...” for tips to start you off.
Register wth a GP when you get here – don’t leave it until you’re ill! If you’re in one of the Fallowfield Halls you can register when you collect your keys for the Owens Park Surgery. is is really useful as it’s right there, no need to drag yourself miles to a doctor! If you’re thinking about getting a job whilst you’re here apply for them early! ere are thousands of students in Manchester most in need of a part time job so you’ll need to get in there quick to secure a good one! Don’t bring too much stuff with you, especially when it comes to kitchen utensils! You may find there are already seven woks and five toasters in your flat, and there’s not that much space! Wait until you get here and see what everyone else has got! Do bring a few things to brighten up your room though! e bedrooms in halls can look very bare and the lighting can be way too bright, especially in Oak House, whose layout was apparently based on a prison! Fairy lights are one of the best ways to solve the problem.
TEXTBOOKS! Don’t buy these until you get here, as the second years will often have cheaper second-hand ones for you to buy! Check out www. manchesterpolitics.co.uk to see what bargains you can get. Alternatively, check out our facebook group for selling second-hand textbooks.
More Tips If everyone else is busy, going for a walk or doing some exploring on the bus is a good way of finding cool new places to eat and drink or even places to chill out. Budget your money to help you get through the year. You don’t have to be ridiculously strict, just be aware of when accommodation payments or anything else major is going out and when your loan installments are e money management website TellMeMoney - www. tellmemoney.com was started off by a recent Manchester graduate and has great tips for budgeting and managing your student loan.
Lots of club nights offer promo jobs which are great for that little bit of extra money without selling your soul to a proper job, so keep an eye out over Facebook Fresher groups if you’re after one.
You’ll be amazed at the amount of different meals you can get out of using rice, pasta, noodles and a bag of mixed veg! Having a glass of water between a few drinks when you’re out really does work wonders. I know it doesn’t sound cool, but you’ll be laughing when you make it to the end of e Big One and everyone else is chundering everywhere!
Speaking of facebook, if you’re not already a member of this social network, get on it! It’s a great way to stay in touch with people and most of our events will be advertised through it as well. We’ve also got a group up for first years so that you can meet and chat to second years or keep on top with the latest events and news. It’s called University of Manchester Politics and International Relations 2013/14!
Even More Tips
Hand picked places and events you just can’t miss... e Northern Quarter e Northern Quarter has long been known as the 'creative quarter' of Manchester -- the home of many fashion designers, creative agencies, art galleries and quirky retailers; it forms a contemporary and inspirational extension to the core of the city centre of Manchester. With the flower market, fashion market and numerous exhibitions to explore you’ll never be short of fun things to do and see around here.
Fallowfield
A big city such as Manchester has got a lot to offer. However, even though most of the shops, restaurants and bars are located in the city centre, the student areas outside of the city are just as interesting and vibrant. Fallowfield is by far the most buzzing and festive of these. With the biggest university student accommodation, the streets are always filled with young likeminded people and no night of the week is holy when it comes to going out. ere are a variety of bars in Fallowfield offering everything from the more upbeat parties such as in ‘Barbar’ or ‘Redrum’ to a chilled night in ‘256’ listening to r&b, hiphop classics or slurping sleak cocktails to a minimum price in ‘Font’. Apart from the bars located on the main road – Wilmslow Road, quite a few of the halls on campus have their own bars as well. ese are great places to go and watch the game in. And when the night draws to a close and the tummy starts to rumble, Wilmslow road offers everything from kebab to pizza to chicken chow mein till late, late, late. No excuse not to have fun whilst studying at Uni. So, who said pub crawl?!
e Comedy Store e Comedy Store is one of best places in Manchester to go as a student as it’s a great night and it’s quite cheap (￡9 for a Saturday). On Sunday’s they do an open mic/introducing night, which is great to spot new comedy talent, and again it’s really cheap for students (￡4!!). Media City Media City UK is based in Salford, which is only a short tram ride away. It is host to shows like Jeremy Kyle, the Voice and Question of Sport. Tickets are always free, so it’s great to go and see the shows live. You’re not a proper Manchester Uni student until you go see the Jeremy Kyle Show at least once! e Cornerhouse
Cornerhouse is Manchester's international centre for contemporary visual arts and film. Located in the heart of the city and open seven days a week, there are 3 floors of contemporary art galleries, 3 screens showing the best of independent cinema, a bar, café and a bookshop. Definitely one for those craving culture and art after too many Cheeky Vimto’s!
e first couple weeks at University are going to be so hectic you’ll hardly find time to stop and think! It’s a great time to meet people and have tons of fun before lectures start though, so make the most of it! e Politics Department will have sent you an official registration timetable for Fresher’s week, but there are also a few things we’re organising that you simply cannot miss! You’ll meet the mentors during the scheduled department days, which will include a tour of the library – while this may sound a bit less interesting than everything else that’s going on in Welcome Week, these tours are casual and give you a chance to chat to your mentor and ask any questions you might have, as well as being really useful for when you actually need to start doing some work! We’ll all be meeting in the pub afterwards as well as having monthly socials and this will be great opportunities to get to know your coursemates! Remember to join the Facebook Group too! University of Manchester Politics and International Relations 2013/14 We look forward to meeting you all! Mia Strand (Junior mentor coordinator) & the Politics & IR mentors.