Amber Rosen

I chose the University of Northampton because it was close enough to my family home to still be able to visit home whenever I wanted, but far away enough to be able to establish some independence. I also loved how modern the campus was and the facilities included, with my favourite being the library with the multiple areas to study either alone or in a group. Northampton itself is also a wonderful town, with the town centre being a short walk from campus and a supermarket close to campus which was convenient when living on campus.

I chose BA Sociology as part of my Joint Honours with Psychology* because Sociology is so interesting and useful to study. There is something for everyone as it has such a wide range of topics, from issues regarding race in society to what the future may hold for society. Once the initial theory is covered, there are multiple options to study what you are interested in within multiple modules. For me, Sociology was so important to study because I find people and how they interact with society incredibly interesting, and Sociology provides the ideal environment to learn more about this interaction.

I enjoy the flexibility of the course to what you find interesting. Within the larger topics such as race, love, and gender alongside many other topics, you can look deeper at what interests you. For me personally, this was really engaging and meant that I could really explore the topics I found interesting, such as polyamorous relationships and the impact of race on healthcare. The lecturers have consistently been supportive in helping to nurture my interests and helped me to explore them further through the assignments that allowed me the freedom to pick a topic.

The course has helped with many general academic skills such as organisation, timekeeping and writing professionally. However, studying Sociology has been especially useful in developing my analytical skills. Through the course, I have been able to access a variety of both academic articles and wider media to inform my study. Each time, I have been encouraged to think about the deeper meanings behind the writing, such as who are the people in power involved and what the biases may be within a piece of work. This has been especially useful for critiquing current media and delving deeper into the messages they portray, as well as evaluating my own biases and values.

The course will help me achieve my goals in either Educational Psychology or teaching because it has allowed me to look at the world with a critical lens and to consider the many viewpoints that exist in contemporary society. This will also help me in my everyday life when interacting with people, as the world can be viewed in a much richer way through a sociological lens. Whatever career you choose, Sociology will be useful within it as it is so versatile with the skills it can provide throughout the course of study.

If you are considering studying BA Sociology at the University of Northampton, you will be supported both academically and personally throughout your journey. My advice would be to fully embrace and enjoy your studies, as you are surrounded by students and staff who can help you to find your interests and can help to widen your view of the world.

I accessed mental health support throughout my first and second year, and will continue to access it during my third year. This additional support allowed me to achieve my fullest potential during my degree through providing a safe and confidential space to discuss any issues or frustrations in both my academic and personal life. I also accessed academic support regarding how to write assignments efficiently, as well as support directly from lecturers for help in specific modules. The University of Northampton has fantastic support networks available, and they should definitely be used if needed as my university experience would be much more stressful without them.

* We no longer offer Joint Honours but we do still offer Psychology and Sociology as single honours programmes.