This is a guest blog by current student Alexander Knights.

During my time studying BA (Hons) Sociology & Anthropology (now called BA (Hons) Sociology and Social Anthropology), I have found interests in the everyday things we take for granted within our society. Units such as Ancient People and Places and Into the Field have provided me with an insight into our evolution into modern humans, and helped me observe and understand the roles, meanings and purpose of subjects such as our heritage, religion, the houses and towns we live in and the environment and landscapes that surround us.

What I wasn’t aware of before undertaking these units is how they enable you to explore cultural subjects in a way that provides you with the skills necessary to compare them with other people around the world and throughout history, as well as our own modern society. Lecturers are excellent in assisting you in doing this and they provide you with a wealth of online information and further reading on the subject areas that catch your interest. This is an excellent way to gain an understanding and continue your research on the things you wish to explore further.

Me on placement when I accepted donation for our Easter Basket Appeal

I have currently just finished my placement year, and I’m returning to BU to complete my final year of studies in September. Having a placement year was an excellent decision for me, as it gave me the opportunity to see how my first two years of study had prepared me for a working lifestyle after university. I conducted my placement at Bournemouth Foodbank, and having studied BA (Hons) Sociology and Anthropology for two years prior gave me a wealth of understanding of the certain social pressures of the families the charity assists.

Furthermore, I was presented with many new insights on how certain changes in the political climate at the time of my placement were directly affecting certain groups of people. Undertaking a placement year is also an excellent way to network with people in an industry you may be interested in, which not only provides you with more opportunity for employment after university, but personally, helped me understand what truly motivates and interests me. This was a great thing to discover before I have to do my dissertation next year

I’m really glad I chose to study at BU. Although the content of the course is very academic, it has helped me explore and understand many aspects of the human world. This therefore provides me with a very unique understanding of people and society that can be valued by a range of employers after university. I really love the balance of being able to continue to learn and enrich my knowledge in the disciplines that I am passionate about, while at the same time knowing that I am gaining a useful skillset for life after university.

The popularity of the Sociology courses at BU has increased since I first applied, so I would highly recommend coming and speaking to lecturers and students on an Open Day and getting an idea of which one is right for you. That way, you also have a perfect excuse to have a trip down to the sunny south coast this summer and explore the area you could potentially be studying in, an area that I have grown to love the past few years.

Alexander Knights