I often find myself engaging with academia outside of my lectures, seminars and assignments. There are plenty of opportunities to follow any academic interests that intrigue you in your modules and read about them outside of university hours (and this doesn’t just have to mean reading the materials provided in your reading list!).

Readings

Geography in particular encompasses many disciplines and there are a plethora of books available that are not traditionally academic but are highly relevant and interesting! Waterstones is my favourite store and I will often pick up a book from the politics and world history sections to read for fun. The Blackwells store on campus is also really great as a place to continue academia outside of university. I will often go there if I have some free time between lectures on campus or if I’m waiting around for a friend. There are loads of academic and university-related books that you can buy. I’ve picked up some works by David Harvey and Danny Dorling in there, as well as a book by Franz Fanon which I became interested in after a first-year lecture on postcolonial geographies.

Reading around the degree subject matter has always been very rewarding as these books often become relevant for future essays that I am writing. It is also a great way to engage with your academic interests without it being directly related to university, essays or exam stress. It’s not all about reading either, engaging with academic-related topics involves keeping up with the news or reading up on articles. Living in a house with 4 geography students, we will often talk about topics that are highly relevant to our degree completely unknowingly as part of everyday conversations!

Manchester University Geography Society (MUGS)

In preparation for my year placement starting in September, I spent a lot of time making use of events and resources provided by the University and SEED. I have been to career fairs, such as one for humanities students earlier in the year. I have also been to career talks hosted by MUGS (Geography Society), which have been on a range of subjects such as how to get a job in a geography-related field, how to secure a placement and what specific geography-related jobs (such as in GIS) are like. I have also been to many placement mentoring sessions, these sessions are run by fourth-year students that have completed their year placement and are for second-years who are looking to find one. These sessions have been extremely useful, the mentors have a lot of first hand experience when it comes to the application process (such as numerical and literacy tests, assessment centres and interviews), so I have found their advice absolutely invaluable! 

Manchester Life

In my free time I really enjoy going for walks in the peak district, which I have been able to do a lot more now that the weather is getting warmer and the days are getting longer. The walks around Edale are really accessible from Manchester by train, so I find they are a really great day out and a nice break during the deadline or exam seasons.

Written by Kira, a current BA Geography student.

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