Katie O’Reilly - History and Politics

My name is Katie O’Reilly. I’ve just finished my  second year of a joint major in history and politics.  History was always my favourite subject in secondary school and I have from a young age been fascinated by the world of politics. My degree helps me to continue studying what I love and helps me to gain a wider understanding of those subjects. 

My lectures are mainly based  in the Newman building, the heart of most social sciences degrees. Within Newman you will find students and lecturers of a diverse range of fields.  From Sociology to Geography, from Irish to Philosophy Newman is called home by many. Newman is always full of students between its cafe and coffee dock you’ll find students huddled around the couches in between lectures. Many of UCD’s societies hold their events in Newman due to the large lecture hall size and its prime location on campus. It is located between the James Joyce Library and the campus restaurant, two buildings that you will get to know very well during your time in UCD.

With a joint major students have a wide choice of subjects to pick from. In first year you are advised to do between 3 to 4 subjects to study. This will give you the choice at the end of first year to pick what two subjects you want to major in. This is a fantastic opportunity to explore different courses before making your decision. In first year I chose to study history, politics, sociology and philosophy. I enjoyed getting to know the introductory basics to the subjects and delving a little deeper into aspects of them. It helped me to confidently decide to continue studying history and politics as I was happy I had the chance to explore other areas first.   First year is the perfect opportunity to explore the different courses UCD has to offer. In studying a joint major you will meet plenty of students from other fields. This will help you to build a diverse friendship group to support you through your college years. 

Not only will you explore different subjects in first year you will also delve deeper into your chosen subjects. Both history and politics offer a diverse range of modules meaning you can specialise on areas that you prefer. You will learn the foundations of politics and from this you can build upon by choosing different modules in the years that follow. You can explore different political systems,  current affairs and different strands of political thinking. In history there is a wide variety of different time periods, different countries histories and different major events. The many talented lectures will take you through different historical periods and show you it from theirs and other historians perspectives. 

Starting into first year can be a daunting experience but UCD makes sure you’ll settle in quickly and efficiently. Your first few days will include an orientation and meetings with your peer mentors. The orientation includes short talks from different lecturers on the the different subjects you will be preparing to study. Those first few days are a great way to help the transition from secondary school teaching to college lecturing. They will introduce you to what a college lecture is like and explain what is now expected of you as a UCD student. 

The UCD peer mentor scheme is a great system to help you settle in and meet new people. When I started in UCD I did not know many people but through the peer mentor scheme I was able to meet plenty of people before lectures even begun. Your peer mentor is usually a second year who studies one of your subjects will look after you and a small group of other first year students. They will be your tour guide for the first few days and your mentor for as long as you need them. They will help you become accustomed to UCD’s Belfield campus with tours of the different facilities like our gym and library. They will be able to help you with any questions you might have about starting college and point you in the right direction if they’re unable to answer them. They will help you to transition into the college lifestyle and bestow any knowledge or tips and tricks they have learnt from first year. Having the mentor in the form of another student is often helpful to students as people can often find it easier to reach out to a peer. 

In your peer mentor group you will have the chance to meet students from all different areas who study similar subjects to you. This really helped me when starting lectures because the rooms can be large and daunting but having a friendly face can make it seem much more welcoming. You will be able to bond with these other students through the different activities offered by your new Students Union and different societies. From BBQs to outdoor cinemas there’s lots to do with your new found friends.

The Social Sciences program in UCD is a great course as it has a wide variety of subjects to suit students. It serves to open the door to many future possibilities.