Hello! My name is Sarah and I am studying Theology & Religion at University. 

I chose my course as I was unsure of what I wanted to do after education, and I was advised by my secondary school teachers to choose a subject that I enjoyed to get the best out of my studies at university. I would give the same advice to anyone when choosing a subject to study as I have found that my interest in Theology and Religion has made me more willing and motivated to complete assigned work and overall made my university experience more enjoyable. I studied Geography, RE, and Psychology at A-Level. RE was my favourite subject as I had always enjoyed learning about other religions and found the philosophical content of the course very interesting which then led me to choose this as my degree subject.  

I absolutely love my course, especially how you can tailor it to your specific interests. Theology offers a wide range of modules and whilst there are some compulsory ones, it is up to the individual student as to which topics they study. For me, I have found the Judaism and Christianity-centered modules the most interesting and I have always chosen these types of modules throughout my degree. In fact, I have chosen my dissertation topic based on these interests, researching the existence of those who believe in Jesus but identify as Jews (Messianic Jews). There are no exams for Theology at York St. John (which I LOVE) and assessments are comprised of essays, portfolios, and presentations. The lecturers could not be more helpful in helping with the assessments and are always on hand to offer you support.

Theology combines an academic focus with a practical focus. We have studied scripture and historical religious events but also have looked at the anthropological side of religion, seeing first-hand how religion can be used to help those in local communities who are struggling. One of the most helpful modules I have studied was ‘Work-Related Learning’ in my second year. Within this, I got the opportunity to participate in work experience within a sector of my choice. The module also comprised of lectures and seminars that gave advice on what you could do with your degree, job applications, and interview hints and tips. I decided to do my work experience in a Primary School and absolutely loved it, and I have recently gained a place on a teacher training course for when I have finished my degree! My tutors and the careers department were extremely helpful, supporting me through my application, but I mainly referred back to what I had learnt in this module when writing my application and preparing for the interview.

If I could give anyone any advice that is interested in studying Theology, it would be to enjoy learning about the historical cultures of different religions as I have learnt so much more about other faiths and I feel like I have become a lot more understanding of different cultures and their practices. I would also highly encourage students to ask tutors and lecturers for help with assignments. At first, I was reluctant to ask for advice, but I soon learnt that they will do as much as they can to ensure you produce the best work possible!

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