We can't wait to welcome you to Andover College in September!
We have created this interactive page to give you a sense of what studying Sociology at Andover College is like. Scroll down to take a look at some of the resources available and get helpful tips on how to engage with the world around from a Sociological perspective.
We would love to see your ideas and results so please send them back to andoverapplicantwelcome@sparsholt.ac.uk with 'Sociology' as the email heading!
Be sure to look into the additional help and support we can provide through our experienced Careers and Health & Wellbeing teams.
Welcome to the Course!
Sociology is all about the study of human society, the relationships we develop and how our behaviour is shaped by the world around us. As a Sociology student at Andover College you will cover various modules exploring the influence of gender, race, social class and ethnicity, among other variables, and examine how your experience in society may be disproportionately affected.
Your Sociology lecturers Carol and Sam have put together a collection of books which you may wish to purchase prior to your start in September to aid your understanding of this fascinating topic. Please note it is not a requirement to purchase any resources and these books will be available in the library for you to access upon successful enrolment.
As a budding Sociology student one of the best things you can do to continue your learning throughout the summer is to engage with various virtual resources, including the news and BBC Panorama. You could also look into topical comedy news shows, such as Mock the Week or Have I Got News For You.
Furthermore, satirical comedies which dig deeper into the fabric of Britain can also provide insight. These could include, Little Britain or The Catherine Tate Show - why not examine how race, social class and gender are portrayed in these shows - what has changed since they were made and what controversies were they involved in?
Sociology Resources
New Activity!
Take a look at the document below and examine social media in more detail through analysis of your own use.
Classroom Activities!
Our lecturers at Andover College appreciate the value in practical learning and encourage students to apply theoretical concept to real life situations - or in this case plastic ones! See below as our Sociology students examine the different sampling methods through Playmobil figurines!
Additional Resources
Interested in learning more about the topics you will study at college in September? Take a look at these additional resources below and let us know how you get on. In particular, work on the new induction task below!
Recommended videos and films:
- Have I Got News for You
- 1, Daniel Blake (film)
- Educating Rita (film)
Recommended reading:
- The Sociology Book (DK)
- Sociology: Themes & Perspectives 5/6/7/8th edition (Haralambos & Holborn)
- The Politics Book (DK)
There are a variety of web pages which are offering free online courses to keep your mind and skills sharp over the summer.
Allison offers a variety of courses within the Sociology discipline - here.
The Open University has a variety of free online courses available in an array of different subjects. Take a look at the catalogue to choose your course! Here.
You could also investigate the courses offered at the EtonX web page; please note these are paid for programmes that your current school may have access to so please check with them and back here regularly for updates.
Not already applied?
Got this link but not yet applied? – Click below so you can join us in September!
Our Courses:
A-Level in Sociology (2 Years)
Careers Guidance
Our careers guidance aims to expand the horizons of all students enabling you to make informed career decisions in order to progress both during and after college.
Carol is our dedicated Careers Advisor for Andover College!
We also have our Sun Progression Mentor Anna!
Anna works alongside the Southern Universities Network (SUN) to help students recognise the routes of progression available to them, and to continue their journey in education!
We recently launched the new Careers Hub located in the College library so come and say hello to Carol and Anna!
Student wellbeing and support
At Andover College we understand that starting college in these uncertain times can be daunting and we aim to make this process as simple as possible.
We have a dedicated team that provide our students with any additional support they need including;
- Counselling
- Carer support
- Childcare support
- Confidential one-to-one services
We have also recently introduced two new members to the wellbeing team ... Arlo and Romeo the Therapy Dogs!
Arlo and Romeo are part of the continued effort from Andover College to consistently improve on and add to provisions for students. They are based on campus with their owners throughout term.
Research has shown that students are significantly less stressed and anxious, and even have increased happiness and energy, immediately following spending time in a drop-in session with a dog present. What good boys!
Social Media
We love to post about all our students on our platforms including their achievements, trips and excellent work - take a look at some of the highlights below and make sure you follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube!