My name is Kemi and I am a 4th year Social Anthropology undergraduate at the University of Manchester. I chose to study Social Anthropology because of the wide range of topics covered across the course and breadth of knowledge from the lecturers. I was also drawn to Manchester as a vibrant and diverse city. 

Each year of the course is made up of 120 credits which is usually 7-8 modules. Many students choose to pick 20 credits outside the anthropology discipline which can range from languages, other social sciences or economics. 

Students will also be given an academic advisor for the year who is there to provide guidance and support on all aspects of student life.  This academic support was really valuable for me as a first year student as I could get guidance on essay skills as well signposting to academic resources and pastoral care. 

One of my favourite modules has been the Business Anthropology which is available in First Year. This module was really valuable in highlighting socio-economic perspectives in anthropology and real life applications of theory. The module also gave students the freedom to choose what they had found most engaging in the course when writing final essays. 

Social anthropology also offers the opportunity to study abroad. I chose to study abroad for a year in Amsterdam. This was an invaluable experience where I was able to completely embed myself into another culture which is exactly what anthropology is all about. Anthropology also offers non-academic opportunities for socialising such as the anthropology netball team and the active anthropology society. These are great examples of how students have built communities outside of class. 

Overall, Anthropology at Manchester is a diverse an engaging course with areas of interest to suit everyone.  Manchester as a city is rich with a distinct culture of student life, art and music and more which can all be explored through the lens of anthropology. 

Written by Yetunda Obasola, an undergraduate Social Anthropology student. 

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