Hi, my name is Olivia, and I am a second-year Philosophy student. I chose Philosophy because I have always been fascinated by life’s fundamental questions about the natural and social world such as the nature of consciousness, existence of free will and existence of knowledge. I wanted to delve into the subject deeper at university. I chose Manchester specifically for this course because it ranked well for Philosophy, and I liked the modules on offer to study.

When I visited Manchester, I was instantly sold. The city was so vibrant, bustling and exciting. It just felt so right for me. I loved the idea coming from a small village to be able to go to concerts, an array of restaurants, bars, activities and especially be able to hop on a train to be at the airport.

Each year you must complete 120 credits. Usually, you chose 60 for each semester but you can do 50 credits in one semester and 70 credits in your other semester. Personally, I opted for a 60/60 split to balance my workload. For first year there is only one mandatory module, the rest are optional. You have the option to select modules from other subjects however, you must select at least 100 credits from Philosophy. For example, for my second year I used 20 credits for business and marketing modules. Of course, you don’t have to do this.

For each module you will have a 2-hour lecture per week and a one-hour seminar. The seminars are your opportunity to engage in discussions about the readings and to ask any questions. My experience with my seminar teachers has always been great, they are super helpful. If you have any questions or want to send an essay plan, you can email them at any time, and they will provide feedback. Seminars are also a great way to meet people on your course.

I have enjoyed all my modules so far, but my favourite module is Philosophy of Resistance. It was so intellectually engaging covering topics of race, gender and the environment. It was so different from anything I had studied before, and it felt relatable to modern day life. Particularly, I enjoyed the race aspects with the idea of colonisation of the mind and work of Frantz Fanon.

Being a student in Manchester is simply amazing. I love it. It is such a fun city to live in and there is always something to do. There are also always opportunities to try something new, in my first year I took part in the Manchester behind doors scheme to be able to gain insight into a leading marketing company in Manchester.

My advice for offer holders thinking of coming to Manchester is to go for your gut feeling, do what feels natural for you. Choose a city you can see yourself living in for three or four years and choose a degree you can envision yourself enjoying for three or four years.

Written by Olivia Uppal, studying BA Philosophy 

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