Many students have passed through Kent but what are they up to now? In the After Kent series, we talk to Rosie Hall about her journey After Kent. Rosie studied BA Politics between 2017-2020.
What do you miss the most about studying Politics at Kent?
I miss the fantastic discussions and debates we had in seminars. Hearing other peoples’ points of view was something I loved about Politics at Kent. Exchanging ideas was a really powerful way to learn.
What are you up to now?
I am now a qualified teacher, working in a secondary school in Southampton. I started my training year last September and qualified this June. I have trained to teach GCSE History and Humanities, and have now been employed to teach GCSE Religious Education and Ethics & Philosophy.
How has studying Politics at Kent prepared you for the future/current position?
At Kent, I received brilliant teaching, which inspired me to go forward and train to teach. The people who inspired me, namely Dr Iain MacKenzie, Dr Jane O’Mahony and Dr Ben Turner have played a big role in influencing me to inspire others. Similarly, Jane’s module ‘Politics in the Classroom’ was an outstanding insight into the world of teaching, and I gained great experience from enrolling.
What advice would you give potential/current Politics students?
My advice would be to go to office hours. Every time I went and spoke to a lecturer 1-1 it helped massively. Even if you’re nervous about getting stuff wrong, just speak to a seminar leader or other academic and they will help you. Also, make sure you immerse yourself in your modules; do the reading!
What do you plan to do in the future?
I would like to continue teaching Humanities for now. I have aspirations of teaching A-Level politics in a few years’ time once I am more experienced. Doing my PGCE has given me 60 credits of a Master’s Degree, so I would love to finish that off in the future too – with a focus on Feminist Political Theory.
IIf you are a POLIR alumni and studied either an undergraduate, postgraduate or PhD degree with us and would like to share your story, contact us, we would love to hear from you!