Oliver Norman

I chose a politics degree specifically because I didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted to do in the future. I knew that the degree would leave me with a heap of transferrable skills: from crafting arguments, to being able to understand global issues. The last one is particularly important as I believe that going into your first job out of University, if you can understand the domestic and global issues at play within your sector then you can progress significantly faster.

Crafting persuasive arguments is basically essay writing but speaking to people. Working out what works and what doesn’t is a crucial skill and one that will only be beneficial for your future careers.

I thoroughly enjoy having the opportunity to use my skills and apply them to real world situations

Post 16 Education: A Levels: History, Classics & Politics

Higher Education: BA (Hons) in Politics and International Relations

Why did you choose Politics and International Relations?

Politics has always been an interest to me ever since the 2010 election and I wanted to get deeper into the subject. My A2s (as they were then) were spent focusing on specific ideologies and how they manifest themselves on a global scale which just blew my mind. I really wanted to know more and especially around whether there could ever be a challenge to the norms of the global system. Lo and behold at my open day back in 2013 I went to an intro talk and it was on exactly this, my mind was made up there and then.

Politics and International Relations is about how the world runs basically. What systems different countries use, how they compare to things they’ve done in the past, whether we have learnt from historical events, how countries interact with each other and with NGO’s. A bit of everything!

Oliver’s experience as a student

Was absolutely incredible.

Not without its challenges for sure but I loved every single minute. I thrived off the independence, loved the social aspect, and fell in love with the Union. There was perfect balance of recreational things to do whilst at the same time encouraging healthy studying habits, support for students who were struggling, and super high quality teaching.

Uni is a change and a challenge for sure but it’s one that I highly recommend taking on.

Oliver’s Career

I currently work for Oxford Students Union (the main one not Brookes) as a Student Engagement Coordinator. I got there after doing a year as Vice President – Affairs and Development at 含羞草视频 Students Union and all the experience I gained there put me in fantastic stead for the interview and to take this job on.