Hi! I'm having something of a quarter-life crisis, and I wondered if you could help me out.
I live in the UK, where we apply to university on the basis of predicted grades, and then are given 'offers' that are (usually) conditional upon achieving those grades. I've applied to study Philosophy and Literature, and I have some offers with which I am very pleased. There is, however, a problem: I feel right now like I really want to study history.
At age 16, I had to pick 4 'A-Levels': these were the subjects I would study, and in which I would gain a qualification, over the next two years. Almost all universities (quite reasonably) require a History A-Level to study History at undergraduate level; but I very much don't have one. I thought about it; but a number of factors led me to choose Politics instead.
When my friends talk to me about history, I get so excited. When I studied Politics, my favourite part was viewing the processes through which political structures evolved. I don't think this is a momentary infatuation with history. In literature, I love so much learning about the different ways people have understood the world through writing; but I increasingly feel like I'm missing so much, due to the extent to which this privileges the viewpoint of those for whom it is possible to write and be published. In Philosophy, one of the things I enjoy most is deconstructing the assumptions with which we live; but as I learn, it feels like many of the ideas in which I am most interested, like race, were never really established or defended through rational argument, but through more complex historical processes.
It doesn't seem as if pursuing History at undergraduate level is a viable option for me. I try to read around the subject in my spare time, but it can't offer me the same kind of rounded education. Sometimes I think about converting to History post-graduate; but this seems far too far ahead to be thinking about. What advice might you offer someone like me about how to pursue my interest?
Apologies if this is the wrong place to ask this question. It seemed like similar ones have been accepted, so I thought I'd try my luck.
Have you considered going abroad to for example a Dutch university which also offers english courses? Universities on the continent also tend to be cheaper. I believe the University of Utrecht has a history degree in English.
Edit: you usually don't need any requirements to enter a degree here.
You could, if you wait a while, a couple of years or so, apply to a University access course that will prepare you for a History degree. Like these https://www.stockton.ac.uk/courses/access-to-higher-education/ http://www.newcollegedurham.ac.uk/access-to-higher-education-1-year-humanities-c2043/ http://www.darlington.ac.uk/university-level/access-higher-education-courses/ With your A Levels you should easily get a place on this sort of course, and that would prepare you for under-graduate History. These courses that I've shown links to are just the courses that I know about, as illustrations, there will be many more all over the country.
It's a bit of a killer that you didn't choose history. Most universities would seriously question your commitment if you didn't pick it for A Level!
There are still options, though. You could apply for a history joint school, where the requirement for history might not be specified. You can also apply for an access to higher education/foundation course. You could try to make up the gap with extensive independent reading, too, and talk about this in your personal statement. If you can make an eloquent defence for the relevance/association of history to the other component in a joint honours application, and show some base of knowledge, you may just blag it.
You could do a history degree through the OU. They don't have any formal entry requirements and most of their history modules are actually very well put together. The level one courses are very accessible and there is a range of different areas that you can specialise in in the later years.
Alternatively, a lot of universities will offer introductory certificates that you can do before commencing a degree if you don't have the correct entry requirements. These are often aimed at mature students who might be approaching a subject from a different route.