British History 1
British History 1 is often viewed as one of the basic History courses that you’ll take in your First Year. It’s worth 40 credits, meaning that it takes up half of your allowance and lasts throughout the year. It’s also one of the most popular courses based on numbers, and it’s not uncommon to see over 200 people in lectures.
There are three lectures a week, at 11am (a good time: it gives you a lie-in and breakfast, but also gets you up in time to actually do something in the day!). You’ll also have one tutorial a week. These can vary greatly depending on the style of the tutor, but as a general rule they will go over lecture material in greater detail. Some tutors prefer debates, some ask questions, some set reading that is discussed afterwards. You’ll also go over essays you’ve done and receive feedback.
The course is split up into four parts. From September to mid-October the focus is from the reign of James VI and I until the end of the 17th Century. Keep an eye on the main lecturer Tom Webster, and the various T-shirts he wears. There’s a different witty platitude each day. Then the course becomes rather more political, looking in particular at the Union of 1707 and the rise of the Whig and Tory parties. Harry Dickinson is perhaps the best lecturer of the course, and also the only one who can take an entire lecture without any notes. Following from this, Alvin Jackson and Wendy Ugolini covers Irish History and Social British History respectively, up to the end of the Second World War. Finally, Robert Crowcroft (a new lecturer last year but already showing signs of being a firm favourite with students) brings the material into the modern day, looking at Thatcher and New Labour amongst other areas.
Assessment-wise, 50% of the marks come from essays, 50% from a 3 hour exam at the end of the year. You get four essays overall, each covering one of the sections mentioned above. There are usually around 10 questions to choose from, with recommended reading for each. The early bird gets the worm here: the best books are often checked out weeks in advance by the most eager students, but there are always books available in the HUB for quick borrowing. The exam isn’t too bad, there’s a lot of writing to do but you can get a good idea of what will be asked, and examiners are pretty lenient on the whole.
Overall, British History is a basic, no-thrills course that can be fairly interesting but otherwise pretty standard. It’s a good introduction to studying History at Edinburgh, it will get you up to scratch on writing essays and studying independently, and gently ease you into the process.
Recommended? Yes 7/10
There are three lectures a week, at 11am (a good time: it gives you a lie-in and breakfast, but also gets you up in time to actually do something in the day!). You’ll also have one tutorial a week. These can vary greatly depending on the style of the tutor, but as a general rule they will go over lecture material in greater detail. Some tutors prefer debates, some ask questions, some set reading that is discussed afterwards. You’ll also go over essays you’ve done and receive feedback.
The course is split up into four parts. From September to mid-October the focus is from the reign of James VI and I until the end of the 17th Century. Keep an eye on the main lecturer Tom Webster, and the various T-shirts he wears. There’s a different witty platitude each day. Then the course becomes rather more political, looking in particular at the Union of 1707 and the rise of the Whig and Tory parties. Harry Dickinson is perhaps the best lecturer of the course, and also the only one who can take an entire lecture without any notes. Following from this, Alvin Jackson and Wendy Ugolini covers Irish History and Social British History respectively, up to the end of the Second World War. Finally, Robert Crowcroft (a new lecturer last year but already showing signs of being a firm favourite with students) brings the material into the modern day, looking at Thatcher and New Labour amongst other areas.
Assessment-wise, 50% of the marks come from essays, 50% from a 3 hour exam at the end of the year. You get four essays overall, each covering one of the sections mentioned above. There are usually around 10 questions to choose from, with recommended reading for each. The early bird gets the worm here: the best books are often checked out weeks in advance by the most eager students, but there are always books available in the HUB for quick borrowing. The exam isn’t too bad, there’s a lot of writing to do but you can get a good idea of what will be asked, and examiners are pretty lenient on the whole.
Overall, British History is a basic, no-thrills course that can be fairly interesting but otherwise pretty standard. It’s a good introduction to studying History at Edinburgh, it will get you up to scratch on writing essays and studying independently, and gently ease you into the process.
Recommended? Yes 7/10