The moment my course clicked!

Hi I’m Keira, a second-year Politics and International Relations student here at York St John University! I’m here to share moments when my course clicked for me and I was especially excited to gain new knowledge!

My course so far

So far, I’ve found my course to be really useful for transferable skills and independent research! Within Politics & IR assignments, I have written and communicated in a variety of different ways – from policy briefs to essays to recorded presentations. This is great for gaining new knowledge in different writing styles to carry forward into the workplace after university! My course also includes lots of independent research! At first, I found it difficult to analyse and research so many sources that included lots of academic key terms! Over time though, I’ve become much more confident in this area through lots of research practise throughout my assignments so far! I’d recommend familiarising yourself with recurring key terms within your discipline – this really helped me!

Study highlights

My study highlights include a recorded presentation and a country case study assignment! I found that this was where academic writing styles really clicked! It was here that previous assignment feedback and academic writing styles began to really make sense and I was very proud of these assignments! For me, I’m much more confident in my academic writing now, when compared to the start of my degree. Remember, you’re not expected to know how to write academically when you first join university – it’s a skill that developed over time and at individual paces! Enjoy the process! My favourite modules on my course include ‘British Politics’ and ‘Democracies’ – I found these especially interesting! I’d recommend having a look at what topics are available on your course and researching what they’re all about!

Tips and tricks

I’d recommend the support on offer from YSJ’s Library team if you’re struggling with referencing, study skills, researching or anything else! Their digital training and support is so valuable! Make sure to utilise office hours with your lecturers too – this was very helpful for me! Learning at university is so much more than just passing exams and assignments – you’re studying a subject that you’re really passionate about! Gradually, you’ll develop much more confidence and independence within your field of study! So enjoy the learning process and modules as you go along!

Enjoy the process of achieving your university degree!

To find out more about library support, please visit https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/library/