Why Digital Media, Culture & Society? 

I have always been fascinated by the digital world. The rise of social media and its influence has created new opportunities in our lives. When choosing a course of study, I was initially drawn to politics, but as someone unsure about her future career path, I wanted a field that offered more flexibility. That’s why I chose Media. I believe that media can be a powerful tool for addressing socio-political issues, particularly through journalism. However, after my first year, I have become more interested in the technological aspect of media, such as UX design. What fascinates me the most is the versatility of Media, not only does it open doors to technology and journalism, but also offers opportunities in artistic and business fields.

Course structure

The compulsory course units in the first year include ‘Thinking Digital Media’, ‘History of Big Data’ and ‘Researching in the Digital Age’ I & II. For my optional courses, I chose ’Arts and Socio-economic Development’ and ‘Visualising Information: Uses and Abuses of Data’. In the second year, there are more optional courses, with only two mandatory courses: ‘Big questions in the Digital World’ and ‘Researching with Digital Methods’. While in the third year, the mandatory courses are ‘Dissertation’ and ‘Digital Futures’. Each course consists of a one hour lecture and two hours of seminars per week. I typically have lectures and seminars spread across three days, leaving me with two free weekdays and the weekend. I try to complete my readings over the weekend before lectures and work on assignments during my free days. I usually hang out with my friends on Fridays or Saturdays, keeping Sundays free to catch up on any assignment or reading.

Favourite courses

I have really enjoyed ‘Researching in the Digital Age’ l & ll as the courses are interconnected and provide essential knowledge on how to conduct research, along with various methods and theories related to Digital Media. I found these particularly useful since I had never conducted research in the field of Media. One of my favourite optional courses has been ‘Visualising information: Uses and Abuses of Data’. Instead of traditional lectures, we had online modules, a new one would be published every week. The benefit of these modules was that they allowed us to revisit the material at our own pace, making it a more independent study experience compared to other courses. I found it interesting as we learned to use Tableau and ArcGis to visualise datasets during seminar hours, where we could apply what we had learned in the online modules. I have also enjoyed ‘Arts and Socio-economic Development’, as our lecturer often prepares engaging activities outside of the University, such as city walks and library visits, which made the course more interactive.

Student life

People from Manchester are welcoming and the city is full of life! With over 400 societies, there are plenty of opportunities for everyone. There are weekly events such as plant sales, vintage clothes markets, movie nights and so much more. One of my favourite things about Manchester is the abundance of cafes. Near the University, there is University Green, an area full of cafes and places to eat, the perfect spot to enjoy an afternoon with friends.

One piece of advice I would give after my first year at the University is not to be afraid to ask for help, whether it’s financial, emotional, academic or any career-related, the University offers all kinds of support. Personally, I found the Student Support Hubs to be extremely helpful, especially during my first week of studies. The staff assisted me with finding buildings, setting up my University email and getting my Student card. I would also advise checking out the Careers Service website, as they post lots of work opportunities and offer 1:1 appointments for CVs.

Written by Jiahui Tang, 1st year Digital Media, Culture and Society

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