Not everyone wants to spend their three or more years at university studying a vocational, scientific or technical subject. Studying the Arts subjects such as art, religion or classics can still open many employment doors.
Art is not usually a subject that you will choose to study unless you hold a dedication and passion for the subject. Having a creative flair is something that some are fortunate to have, which can lead to very successful careers. Having such a passion and love for the subject will make studying it that much easier, rather than it being a chore to study and complete coursework on time it will be something that you want to do.
Not only will you be able to develop your artistic skills but you will also be able to develop other skills that will help you later in life. You will learn the art of essay writing, good communication skills and IT literacy to name but a few! Not only will you develop your practical skills, but your theory also. You will get to learn about other artists and cultures along the way.
Of course, if art isn’t your strongest point then this possibly isn’t the right subject for you, but there are plenty out there that will be. Art is a very hands on subject, and will take up a lot of your time when constructing your latest piece. You need to be patient and dedicated to the subject in order to succeed.
Studying art in the UK has an added bonus as you will be able to visit London, which is deemed by many to be a very creative capital. And it is also home to the V & A (Victoria and Albert); the world’s greatest museum of art and design.
Choosing which subjects to study, at any level can be a daunting task! This article aims to inform you of the pros and cons of studying English Literature.
If you choose to study English Literature you will study many texts each from different periods and genres. You will read plays, novels and poetry both old and new! It will enable you to delve deeper into your favourite novels, and gain a much better understating of the characters, plot and language. If you enjoy reading this will be a great choice for you.
You will learn a vital skill that you can use elsewhere when studying English Literature- forming opinions and making judgments. Once you have thoroughly read your allocated text you will form opinions and thoughts that you will be able to share with the rest of your class. You will not only have the chance to write essays, but you will also hold discussions with the rest of your group so you can learn from others too. You will learn the art of writing essays, another skill that will not only benefit you within English but across all subjects.
There is a lot of reading and writing involved and therefore no practical work is involved. If you prefer something that is more hands on then this probably isn’t the subject for you. You will need to have enthusiasm and passion for the subject as it involves a lot of hard work.
Studying English Literature is a great choice for you if you love reading and want the chance to be able to share your passion with others!
Latin is a language originally spoken in Ancient Rome, and many students may not appreciate its significance as a relevant subject to study in today’s world. However, through studying Latin, not only will you acquire the knowledge and skill of a new language but you will also enhance your skills in other subject areas.
Latin is an extremely technical language, from which most other languages’ grammatical rules are derived. Therefore studying Latin will help you with your English grammar and your use of language in general. It has also been suggested that learning Latin will increase your ability to quickly understand and learn other foreign languages with ease because of the rules and word derivatives initiated within Latin. Therefore if you are interested in linguistics and languages then Latin will allow for a greater understanding of these fields.
In addition, studying Latin, not only provides you with knowledge of the language but also of the Ancient Roman world and the history, architecture and sociology of the time. Therefore if you already possess an interest in these fields, then studying Latin will further develop your knowledge and understanding within these subject areas.
Latin is also extremely relevant within the world of work. Latin is a very precise subject and therefore encourages accuracy and attention to detail, which are both sought after qualities by employers. It also requires a great deal of analytical skill and problem solving ability to get to grips with Latin as a subject; once again these are both much sought after skills in all fields of employment.
Typical roles that Latin graduates go on to work within include:
· Translators
· Architects
· Historians
· Teachers
· Journalists
Therefore despite Latin no longer being an actively spoken language, the benefits of studying it are many. It is generally considered to be an extremely academic subject and the skills you will learn and develop will provide an excellent basis for further learning and understanding of many other subjects and will be particularly beneficial in the workplace.
Religion and religious debate fills our everyday lives. It is impossible to open a newspaper or turn on the television without being faced with a religious, moral or ethical issue under discussion, such as war or euthanasia. Even if you are not a religious person, it is impossible to ignore religion. This therefore provides the first argument for studying religion; the study of this subject will allow you to be better informed about the world and current affairs. Studying religion allows you to debate and question an endless array of topics that will lead you to form educated opinions and have a greater knowledge of the world around you and the individuals that you will interact with.
The next reason for studying religion comes from the skills that you will acquire and develop through your study. These include, good essay writing, research skills and importantly the art of critical and philosophical thinking. Critical and reasoned thinking is a much sought after skill in the world of work and careers that welcome such skills include:
· Law
· Business
· Teaching
· Medicine
· Law Enforcement
· Government
There are of course reasons not to study religion. The first reason is that religion is not a definite science, and for those who like to find an absolute and correct answer to a question, this cannot be achieved within this subject matter. Religion is ultimately based on individual beliefs and opinions and study of the subject allows you to debate these opinions, but you will never find a correct and unquestionable answer.
Secondly, religion is a predominantly theory based subject, it requires a great deal of research and reading, therefore if your preference is for a more practical, ‘hands-on’ method of study, then religion may not be for you.
Studying religion can be a very fulfilling route to go down, you will definitely expand your knowledge of a wide range of subjects and you will form opinions based on the in depth research that you will undertake. However, the style of study required when looking into religion is not suited to all, and those students who thrive on definite facts and figures may find the study of religion is not specific enough to fulfil them. Ultimately the final decision is yours, but the study of religion is certainly not just for religious people or for those who want a career in religion, it is a vast subject that will challenge you on many levels.
So as you can see, an arts based university course can be both fulfilling and practical in terms of improving your employability.
