Name and degree: Chloe, BA Politics and International Relations

What was the best thing about studying here?

The modules. Before studying Politics, I didn't realise the many layers of politics beyond Westminster, so being able to explore politics in depth through lots of different modules was quite fun!

What stands out for you now that you can reflect on your time here?
The sense of community. The positive of Royal Holloway being a smaller university is the fact that you can get to know lots of people really well, and form great connections.

How did you find the staff and their teaching and what was it like to be part of the department community?
The staff and their teaching were great, I enjoyed getting insight into the academics' own interests and being part of that community was amazing. As a student, I was so fortunate to have supportive tutors who pushed me academically to get me where I am today, and for that, I'll always look back at my experience in the Politics department fondly.

What was the most interesting thing you studied here?
I found Gender and Nationalism in the Middle East and South Asia to be interesting as the course opened up my eyes to gendered issues within countries in the Global South and how there is no 'one size fits all' way of viewing the world.

How has your degree prepared you for your future career path?
My degree enhanced my ability to critically analyse, communicate to different audiences and conduct research, skills that will be very useful as I seek to go into research full-time.

How do you feel now you've graduated and what would you say to applicants keen to study here?
Very happy. For me, graduation was a full-circle moment, and being able to celebrate the day with my friends and family was a perfect way to end my time at Royal Holloway. And to anyone considering studying here I'll say to have an open mind and don't worry if you didn't study politics at A Level or IB before university, I didn't and I got on just fine.