First Arts...History or English

2mature

Hi, I will be studying first arts in either English or History in September and I was just wonddering what people who had studied the subjects would recommend...and which they found more difficult over the years...

Thanks:)

ReacherCreature

2mature wrote: »

Hi, I will be studying first arts in either English or History in September and I was just wonddering what people who had studied the subjects would recommend...and which they found more difficult over the years...

Thanks:)

I don't think you should be looking at it in terms of difficulty but rather at how much you enjoy a subject. Which subject would you prefer or like to do? Answering this, should be easier to find more information.

GSOIRL

I thought you were doing Sports Studies Are you leaving us before it even starts?

ReacherCreature

GSOIRL wrote: »

I thought you were doing Sports Studies Are you leaving us before it even starts?

Don't you've to do a 'standard' subject too?

GSOIRL

ReacherCreature wrote: »

Don't you've to do a 'standard' subject too?

You're right. I read it as Fine Art and ........

Gonna really have to sort my reading out before I start in Sept


Well on that there is only 5 places on English for us. I agree with what Reacher has said about which you prefer. If you're thinking purely employment wise for the future, English would be better. All pupils must do English for 6 years hence more English teachers needed. After saying all that I'm not doing English. I think it all depends on what you like best. So basically this whole thing is irrelevant as Reacher already said it.

captainspeckle

Well I do both English and History and I love them both! You really need to figure out which one you like more, as ReacherCreature has mentioned. I know way too many people who chose a subject because it was "easy" and ended up hating it and failing it. (not trying to scare you or anything, but it happens all too easily!) So make sure that the level of difficulty is at the back of your mind and always choose what you enjoy. That my two cents! let me know if you need anymore information on either English or History.

2mature

Hi guys...

Thanks for the input...I am lwaning towards history as I enjoyed that more in school but they are both subjects I enjoyed studying you see....sorry GSOIRL ...should have made my heading clearer..ha was talking about the 1 subject:o

Captainspeckle I am leaning towards history...your doing both...I suppose I shouldnt label it as easier...but which do you find more time consuming???:cool:

ReacherCreature

2mature wrote: »

Hi guys...

Thanks for the input...I am lwaning towards history as I enjoyed that more in school but they are both subjects I enjoyed studying you see....sorry GSOIRL ...should have made my heading clearer..ha was talking about the 1 subject:o

Captainspeckle I am leaning towards history...your doing both...I suppose I shouldnt label it as easier...but which do you find more time consuming???:cool:

Time consuming? It's college, they're both time consuming. The more you advance with it (if you're keeping one of the subjects on for 2nd, 3rd year) they're going to become increasingly time consuming.

KCAccidental

2mature wrote: »

Hi guys...

Thanks for the input...I am lwaning towards history as I enjoyed that more in school but they are both subjects I enjoyed studying you see....sorry GSOIRL ...should have made my heading clearer..ha was talking about the 1 subject:o

Captainspeckle I am leaning towards history...your doing both...I suppose I shouldnt label it as easier...but which do you find more time consuming???:cool:

english is probably more time-consuming in my experience. you cover a hell of a lot in first year. that said most of it was really enjoyable

2mature

Hi,

Thanks...looking at the book of modules it does look very widespread the english course...thanks for the reply...definitely leaning towards history as I like the choices after first year

grenache

I would recommend History, purely from a work-load point of view. English is heavy. Having said that, second year History is intense, with numerous essays being thrown your way. As a subject i would always choose History over English, simply because i find it more interesting.

captainspeckle

They are both pretty time consuming in their own ways in my opinion. In first year English was much more time consuming than History and the opposite can be said of second year. The amount of time and effort that you put into a either English or History is entirely subjective and up to yourself really! Some thing may come more easily to some and require hours of reading and study for others. Its hard to say which is more time consuming because that is entirely up to the person studying them. I will remind you again to make sure you pick the one that you have more of a passion for. Once you love the subject everything else will fall into place. I know is sounds kind of corny but it really is the best advice I have ever been given!

Plautus

I'd second what others have said. It depends on your personal preference - if it's a guide at all to difficulty then the average percentage of the History class achieving Firsts in First Year is 2-3% of the total (about 300 students - so that's less than 10 people.) English is probably similar (but as someone who never took the subject I'm just guessing.) So it's not about the difficulty; it's about your interests.

History becomes more preoccupied with methodology and historiography (i.e. how do you write good history and how good is the history that has been written on a given topic) as you advance, with an increased emphasis too on personally directed historical research. If you take History into Second Year and beyond the majority of your grade in History will derive from research you've authored. For example, in Third Year, a History minor will take 10 credits of options and 10 credits of a research dissertation (so 50% of their final grade is research), Joint Students take 20 credits of options and 10 credits of a research dissertation (33% of their final grade is research) and Major students take 20 credits of options, 10 credits of a research dissertation and 10 credits of a research project (again, 50% of the final grade is research). That's different from first year where about 80% of your final grade derives from examination in May.

But that makes it sound scarier than it really is. Research is really knowing how to make effective use of the library and electronic resources. You certainly don't have to make original discoveries - but you have to show originality in the way you put together existing material and historical research. In short, it's incumbent upon you to have an opinion and to be able to articulate it in a clear-minded, evidence based way. Ergo, having an interest in History helps a great deal.

English will appeal to you if you prefer to read literature over primary source material, in short. In my case it was the reverse.

2mature

Hi all,

Just want to say thanks to everyone for taking the time to contribute to the thread..it is greatly appreciated

IrishEyes19

Probably too late to answer...but I did both and loved both! I'd say from a difficulty level, 2nd Year History certainly heated up a little with core module essays having a 3,000 word toll on them combining that with assignments in other areas...timing was essential, but in terms of both subjects, I found them equally as good. I personally enjoyed History more in Second year.

NicoleL88

English is grand. I did 50 credits from first year to third. It's not that time consuming at all.

ReacherCreature

NicoleL88 wrote: »

English is grand. I did 50 credits from first year to third. It's not that time consuming at all.

Just curious, how do you do 50 credits from 1st year on?

NicoleL88

ReacherCreature wrote: »

Just curious, how do you do 50 credits from 1st year on?

I did first year twice. Changed subjects second time round and did English and Psychology.

rebel girl 15

GSOIRL wrote: »

You're right. I read it as Fine Art and ........

Gonna really have to sort my reading out before I start in Sept


Well on that there is only 5 places on English for us. I agree with what Reacher has said about which you prefer. If you're thinking purely employment wise for the future, English would be better. All pupils must do English for 6 years hence more English teachers needed. After saying all that I'm not doing English. I think it all depends on what you like best. So basically this whole thing is irrelevant as Reacher already said it.

What subject are you going doing?? Over half of last years first years did maths afaik! I'd have thought thy would have increased the number of places available in English considering that there was an increase in the number of places being awarded for it!

IrishEyes19

Depends on what you do as well, single, Major, joint....affects obviously your other subject as well when you go into second or third year, with clashing of essays and due dates.

rebel girl 15

IrishEyes19 wrote: »

Depends on what you do as well, single, Major, joint....affects obviously your other subject as well when you go into second or third year, with clashing of essays and due dates.

OP is doing Sports Studies and PE, but need to do one Arts subject as well, so the degree type doesn't affect them!

IrishEyes19

rebel girl 15 wrote: »

OP is doing Sports Studies and PE, but need to do one Arts subject as well, so the degree type doesn't affect them!

My mistake, thanks rebel girl, then I suggest History, there's a lot of essays I find in English in first year, History not as much and if you like history, it's a really nice course to do.

Byron85

IrishEyes19 wrote: »

My mistake, thanks rebel girl, then I suggest History, there's a lot of essays I find in English in first year, History not as much and if you like history, it's a really nice course to do.

History was grand for the essays actually. 3 essays across the year and then 3 exams at the end of the year so something has to go seriously wrong for you to not pass the year.

IrishEyes19

Byron85 wrote: »

History was grand for the essays actually. 3 essays across the year and then 3 exams at the end of the year so something has to go seriously wrong for you to not pass the year.

Agreed, and also the medieval section, exam paper is so predictable!:)