What Makes Philosophy So Special?

I would assume that if you’re reading this then you’re applying to Lancaster to study Philosophy, or are at least interested in it? But what is it about the course, specifically at Lancaster, that makes people like it so much and want to stick with it? I even know some people who changed their major because they enjoyed doing Philosophy so much as a minor in their first year! Here are some factors that I feel make the course so wonderful and appealing. Of course, it may be a possibility that I am slightly biased…

The work itself; there really isn’t much else like it. Philosophy is analytical and rigorous, and although it can be very challenging at times, there will always be something that you can take out of a lecture or seminar that resonates with you. I think it is quite rare to be able to say that you relate to a university course on a personal level; especially when talking about your own morals, values and beliefs. I think that the constant possibility of showing up to a Philosophy lecture and leaving with a completely different perspective on an issue that you already thought you had set opinions in is intriguing and exciting. It’s definitely one of the factors that keeps me engaged and wanting to learn more.

The fact that Philosophy allows for your own values and opinions to shine through in your work (to an extent, of course) is something else about the course that I think students really appreciate. Of course you have to learn the theory and the technicalities that come with it, but essay questions always allow for a degree of your own interpretation. The important part is being able to be analytical and think critically of the arguments that you are writing about. Your own interpretation can always play a role in the essays as long as you do this, and support your assertions with academic sources!

The development of yourself and your knowledge. It is easy to feel disheartened sometimes when you are confronted with a reading or lecture that you don’t fully understand, but you have to remember not to panic. Philosophy seminars are incredibly enlightening, people make fantastic points all the time and the lecturers and tutors are very supportive. The more seminars you go to, the clearer the things that once puzzled you become. This only gets better with time. I can tell you from my own experience currently being a third year student, that Philosophy seminars only become more and more enjoyable.

This leads me on to another factor; the class sizes. When it comes to the amount of students on the course in general, Philosophy is usually one of the smaller courses. It depends on people’s learning styles; some people may like having busy lectures and larger seminars, but I really believe that smaller class sizes is what allows Philosophy students to really shine and flourish. Especially in the second and third years, I think my largest seminar group over the past two years has been around 13-14 people, my smallest was 6! For me, I really appreciate the small class sizes as I think it allows everybody to have a voice. Debate and reasoned argument are a central part of Philosophy and smaller seminar groups not only allow for everyone to be heard, but it also allows support from fellow classmates.

This takes me to the inspiration I had to make this particular post. During my seminars that I’ve been attending this week, there has been almost a shift in atmosphere amongst us students. Everyone has been chatting and laughing together, and just making being in to lectures and seminars an enjoyable experience in general. I feel like this really reflects a special type of comradery and sense of community that is present in Philosophy that I can’t imagine finding anywhere else. Everybody; students and lecturers alike, wants to see you succeed and develop within the discipline. It really is a fantastic feeling!

On another note, an update on me; the workload has really upped this week- lots of presentations and essays to prepare for! It’s all about time management, I have two essays to hand in by the beginning of the final week of term so I am spending week 6 (this week) and week 7 discussing the essay questions with my lecturers, doing all of the readings that I need to do and making thorough essay plans, that way I can spend weeks 8 and 9 working solidly on writing them. Weeks 9 and 10 for me will be used to discuss, read for, and plan my extended essays for my special subjects that are due for January.

Applying to graduate jobs is also a huge part of third year, particularly in first term. These past couple of weeks I have been applying to some of the schemes that I am most interested in. That means writing a lot of answers to competency questions, completing countless online assessments, and doing a lot of nervous waiting for updates on my application progress. I will be going down to London at the beginning of December to attend the assessment centre for one of the schemes I have applied for. I’m extremely nervous, but no matter the outcome I will have gained valuable experience and be able to develop my interview and assessment centre techniques. Despite the hectic and challenging nature of this week, I managed to take this weekend to go home and visit family and friends. It’s always such a lovely feeling after being away for 6 weeks! It was a great weekend of relaxation but now it’s back to work, wish me luck!

Starting essays already!?!?

Introducing me

I’m Emily, I’m 21 years old, and am currently a Masters student studying LLM International Law and International Relations. On this blog I’m going to give you a bit of an insight into what it is like to be a student in the PPR department, and what normal days/weeks look like as a student at Lancaster University. But first, I thought it would be wise to let you know a little bit about me. I studied my undergraduate degree in Politics and International Relations here at Lancaster, and have decided to stay here for my masters as I really enjoyed my time here and didn’t quite want to leave! I’ve played college netball for Bowland throughout at my time at uni, held numerous part time jobs, and also been lucky enough to have three internships during my time here at Lancaster so far. During my spare time, I enjoy going to the  pub with friends, often entailing a few pints and a game of pool, so, this year joining the college pool team was a must (mainly because it’s the perfect excuse for a pub trip).

But now onto the important stuff, a day in the life of a student…

This week I have to say is one of the quieter ones, focusing on starting planning for my essays. For my masters there are no exams, instead 3 x 5,000 word essays are the assignments for my first term. 5,000 sounds a lot right? Well, after a few years of studying your chosen subject, it becomes very easy to reach if not go over a word limit of 5,000, so don’t be put off by that. For my PPR modules, you get to choose my own questions to focus on, which is great as it gives you such flexibility to focus on areas that you have been interested in previously. I have always been interested in social media and its effects on politics, and the Iraq war and the motives behind it have long since been an intrigue of mine. So I have managed to worm these two subjects into each of my essays, the first essay being of the effects of social media on diplomatic practice, and the second being on whether realism can accurately explain the invasion of Iraq. Pretty cool eh? Well, the nerd in me sure thinks so.

Besides essay planning, of course there’s lectures and seminars I have to attend. My current timetable this term I must admit is very quiet, requiring lots of self-study, reading plenty of books and articles, and frequent study trips to the library or computer rooms on campus. Fun right?! Well, 7 hours of lectures/seminars a week isn’t actually all too bad, and I really like this method of study, as it allows me to work at my own pace and use the lectures to clarify my understanding of the weekly readings I have to do. What’s even better, is that I love my subject, so spending time studying for the most part is very rewarding.

Life at Lancaster however, isn’t all about studying, and luckily for Lancaster students there is plenty to do both on and off campus. This week, I have a netball match on Wednesday, a competitive pool game this evening, and plans to go on a night out at the weekend. In between this, I often find myself catching up with friends for coffee (or my preferred drink from costa, a hot chocolate) or watching an episode of two from a good TV show on Netflix to unwind after a long day of studying. Fitting in time to do the things you enjoy in between the time you spend studying is key for providing yourself with a break from your studies, as managing your time effectively is one of the biggest things you’ll learn at university, even though after three years I still haven’t yet mastered this skill!

I hope this provides you with some insight into my life at Lancaster, and please keep your eyes posted on this blog for more updates from myself and other students! If you have any comments or questions, feel free to comment on my post.

 

The Importance of Balance

Just over 2 weeks left of this term until we break for Christmas, the time has really flown by!

The workload is definitely in full force now, and it’s evident across the whole uni. The library is busy with people from 9am to 5pm,  study areas are always buzzing with students; all of us working to make our deadlines. I myself have 2 essays to hand in by the beginning of the final week of term and though that may not sound like much, there is still a lot of work that has to go into it.

In Continental Philosophy I am writing my essay on Nietzsche and his ideas about guilt- where it comes from, how our conscience is formed, and making a critique of this account. For Darwinism I am writing about Evolutionary Psychology and how the process of evolution can help us to understand human traits, characteristics and behaviour.

So much planning goes into Philosophy essays, especially at university level and it’s important to have a clear schedule of what you want to get done, and when you need to have it done for. It’s important to understand that everyone works in different ways, and what seems to work for others may not necessarily work for you- so it’s good to try to really understand how you work best and finesse your technique to make it the best that it can be. This is how I personally find to be the best way to work for myself:

  1. Choose my essay questions for each module. I find that doing this as soon as possible really helps. Sometimes that means choosing a question that appeals to me straight away, and other times this means waiting until I’ve had a few more lectures so I can make a more informed decision if I am not too sure. Having my essay questions picked out as early as I can allows me to start collecting my thoughts and making brief notes from the get-go.
  2. Draw up an initial plan and line of argument. I do this by going through lecture and seminar notes that I have taken, as well as re-reading the primary readings set by the lecturer. This way I can form a basic framework to base my essay on.
  3. Read, read, read. After putting together an initial framework, I can then read with direction- making sure that what I am reading is relevant and allowing me to read critically in accordance with my argument, instead of ‘reading into the blue’. Also, doing reading outside the primary reading list really demonstrates your knowledge and passion for the subject to your lecturer, and so makes you essay unique and different from everyone else’s!
  4. After reading for each of my essays and picking out quotes and ideas and making notes on them, I then create a more formal plan. This is where I will detail the structure I want my essay to follow by using subheadings, and write under each one what I will include in the section, in the order I want it to appear in the final draft.
  5. The most important step: I talk to my lecturers. I take my plan with me as a guide to follow for points of discussion and ask about the structure of my essay, and if I am generally going in the right direction to answer the question. Obviously there is only so much that the lecturers can say when helping you, but I always come away from talking to them with new ideas for my essay that I may have missed or not thought of initially. I then add these into my formal plan.

I then sit down to write my final drafts. Typically I do the 5 steps above in weeks 6 and 7 of the term, which leaves me with 2 weeks to write the final versions with everything ready and on-hand. (However, this can change based on how many essays I have to hand in at a given time).

This can seem like an extremely daunting task and this is where the importance of balance comes in. I’m human, I need time to take a break and not think about writing essays for a little while, so I make sure to follow a set schedule throughout the week. During the 2 weeks that I am writing the final drafts of my essays I usually head to campus at 9am, no matter what my timetable is and I work on my essays at the times of the day that I have no scheduled classes.

Of course, I take breaks- grab some food, perhaps meet up with a friend for half an hour, take a short walk etc. but I remain on campus until 6pm. This may seem like an unbearably long day, but there are more hours in the day than you sometimes realise! When I arrive home after 6pm, I know that I have done enough work on my essay for that day and so I can allow myself to do my readings for my seminars, or simply switch off, relax and not think about uni-related work for the evening. I also find that if I put the most effort I can into writing my essays during the week, that I am able to take Saturday evenings and Sunday off completely!

This is why it is important to have a schedule and remain balanced. University wouldn’t be an enjoyable experience if you were working at full speed 24/7. Just this weekend I was able to take Sunday off and spend time with my family at a ‘Winter Wonderland’ park. I was able to see my younger sister and we had all sorts of Christmas-themed fun like: ice skating, a woodland walk, and enjoying an awesome hot chocolate! Everyone needs time to switch off and almost have a ‘reset’, that way you can return to work-mode and get things done more efficiently and effectively when you need to!

About Me

My name is Amy and I’m a third year Philosophy (BA hons) student here at Lancaster. Hopefully these blog posts will allow you to get a feel of what life is like for typical student at the university. I will be keeping you up to date with how my course is progressing this year and with what I’ve generally been getting up to as a student.

It may only be week 4 of this term, but the work is already on a steady increase. That’s what comes with attending a ‘Top 10’ university I suppose! As I am a Single Honours student, my days are filled with philosophy modules. This term I am taking; Continental Philosophy, Darwinism and Philosophy, Philosophy and Popular Music, and Feminist Philosophy. Two of these are standard modules and two are special subjects; which I’ll explain later!

Right now in Continental Philosophy we are studying Nietzsche and his ideas about morality; where it came from and why what is ‘moral’ changes so much, the use of punishment, and the emergence of guilt and the conscience. His work is very different to the usual analytical-style readings that I have gotten used to over the past couple of years, and while it can be difficult to understand at times, I’m enjoying the challenge and it is quite a refreshing change. His work is going to be the subject of my essay at the end of this term.

As for Darwinism, we are currently understanding the theory of evolution and looking at some key thinkers surrounding the topic. For example; Dawkins and the ‘Selfish Gene’. Along with genetics we are questioning how important environmental factors are in evolution, as well as questioning whether the claim that the traits that we possess now ‘must be a product of evolution’, and so ‘must have a meaning for being there’. Right now we are just laying the groundwork for further philosophical discussion in the coming weeks- more of that to follow!

As for the special subjects, these are basically 2 hour seminars, once a week, and they are student-led. This means that, while there is a lecturer present to help and guide the discussion, it is basically down to us to start up conversation and encourage debate. Generally, the way this is done is by allocating each student (or group of students) one of the weekly readings of their choice. Then we have to create our own presentation and a handout of what we have read in which we; summarise and explain the reading, extract the key features of the arguments from the author, and identify questions that will lead to further discussion among the group. Don’t worry though, these are not assessed- but they really help with communication skills, and we can use the material that we come up with in our essays due next term, which is great!

Philosophy and Popular Music is the first of the  special subjects that I am taking, and by far the most different module to everything that I have studied during my time here. As of now, we are looking at the evaluation and aesthetic values of popular music with questions such as; ‘Is popular music standardised?’ ‘What implications does standardisation have on the value of popular music?’ In my second special subject; Feminist Philosophy, we are currently focusing on the work of Beauvoir in relation to the origins and solution to the oppression of women. For example; the idea that women are The Other, and the influence of biology in gender politics. Each of these have a 5000 word essay due for the first day back after Christmas.

Alongside all of this, I have been working on readings in preparation for my dissertation, but I have also managed to keep up with activities outside of studying. This past weekend I attended a 4 hour self-defence class with Just Play- a group that organises sporting events and taster sessions for anyone with (usually) any ability! It was a great session that I got to experience with one of my close friends, the session leaders were really supportive, and we both actually learned a lot! It was also Halloween this past weekend, so the community spirit within the university was at an all time high- definitely one of the most fun holidays to celebrate here in Lancaster!

Student Cooking: By Becky and Katie

Hello!

This week, we thought we’d talk about one of our most favourite topics: food! Thinking about cooking for yourself can seem a bit scary when you’re used to homemade food that you don’t have to pay for. However, once you find your feet, surprisingly, cooking can actually be quite enjoyable and a good way to get away from work.

Stereotypically, you’ll hear that students only ever eat beans on toast, pasta, or cereal. Yes, every student has been a culprit of this, however, if you learn how to budget your money and what to buy to get the most out of each meal, you will find no problem in eating well.

Budgeting is so important; it’s so easy to waste money on ready meals and takeaways, whereas you can make a pot of soup that will last for four meals for less than half the price! Yes, you’ll find that sometimes you miss the more exciting meals, such as roast dinners, but eating at uni doesn’t have to be a tedious chore. You’ll soon find where the best places are to buy food. Lancaster University run a free bus to Sainsbury’s to and from campus, which means you have easy access to a big supermarket for a good food shop. Also, the best place to go for cheap and good food is Lancaster’s markets. Every Wednesday and Saturday, you can have your choice of fresh fruit and veg, as well as eggs, meat and fish, for really cheap. Of course, there is always the option of online supermarket delivery which can be delivered right outside your accommodation on campus.

Here are some of our favourite things that we often eat at uni, that both save us money, and fill us up!

Soup (invest in a hand blender and you can turn pretty much anything into soup. Make a big batch and it will last for ages).

Stir-fry (All you need is a pack of noodles, your choice of fresh veg and a tasty sauce, and take hardly any time).

For house meal, fajitas (these are easy to make in bulk, are quick, and feel like a real treat).

Bolognaise/ chilli (make a big batch and freeze portions individually so you have a stack of pre-made meals in your freezer that just need reheating. Just make pasta/rice/a jacket potato and you’ll have a filling meal in no time).

Of course, after some trial and error, you will find recipes that work for you and mean that you really look forward to teatime after spending the day in lectures.

However, it can’t be denied that after a night out, nothing will sort you out better than a huge portion of cheesy chips, or a burger from Sultans (our much loved, post-night out takeaway on campus). As long as you budget in the week, and in general have a balanced diet, you won’t feel so bad taking a kebab home to bed with you after a night out.

In terms of brainfood, this may sound a little unorthodox, but we have both been told by a number of sources that bananas make you more intelligent…We genuinely both eat bananas before every exam we have and they are good during essay writing. They are cheap and filling and whether they do actually make a difference or not is debatable but, our lecturers say they make you clever and sometimes any type of little boost helps!

Despite the weird banana topic, eating in general at uni is nothing to be scared of. You soon get used to how much to spend / where to spend it / how to cook etc and it can become a enjoyable part of your day so don’t feel it to be a daunting aspect of uni life – it really is not that bad!

Becky and Katie x