Josh McWilliams
Alumnus
- Course
- History and Politics BA
- Subject area
- International Relations, Politics and History
Several of my relatives and family friends studied at Loughborough University – and my UCAS research gave me an appreciation of how prestigious the University is. So, I knew it right away that Loughborough was featuring in my university applications.
One of the best parts about the early university experience is, I think, the strong emphasis on independence, especially given that most new students have lived with their parents for 18 years or more.
This independence manifests itself in study, shopping, cooking, navigating social circles and time management. You learn not to be afraid to say yes to a night out, if you need a break. Likewise, you get better at saying no if you feel overwhelmed or need to finish coursework!
I enjoyed my course but, for me, Dr Matt McCullock’s the Politics of Star Wars and Political Simulation modules are stand-outs. They gave me insights into how certain political assumptions about the world are subliminally layered in popular culture.
I also enjoyed the more abstract philosophy modules such as the History of Political Thought and Dr Josh Milburn’s Environmental Thought.
Equally, there is something for the straightforward history and current affairs enthusiast, including Dr Paul Maddrell’s Modern Germany: Recovery from Ruin, 1945-present and The Soviet Security State, 1917-present modules.
In Dr Pete Yeandle’s Victorian Values Reconsidered, I learned about the Northern British newspaper editor W T Stead (1849-1912) who promoted a sensationalist, “anti-establishment” activist journalism. I’d previously thought that this was pioneered a little later by Californian newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951) who inspired Orson Welles’ film, Citizen Kane.
I was intrigued to discover that an aged Stead and the young Hearst met and wrote to each other. I wanted to discover what this relationship was like and whether it created the modern US and UK media. With its overwhelming headlines, “populist” politicians, popular fury at government and the power of narrative commanded by a small oligarchy, the period of my research and writing (February 2024 to April 2025) was a very rich time to be examining this relationship!
The teaching varies in style, lecturer to lecturer. However, they all stress that self-study and research is vital. The Pilkington Library is a great resource for this.
The lower floor of the Library is a great place for silent study, but if you’re working collaboratively, upstairs is a more colourfully lit, informal study space.
The Articles Plus section on the Library’s website has digitised a truly incredible number of journal articles, but if there’s something you require that the library does not have, inter-library loans can be a real lifeline – as they proved for me.
I would most like to have a career in journalism. My dissertation has helpfully shown me where power has migrated to in the modern media.
However, the rest of my degree has helped me consolidate how to weave together a consistent narrative of past events which can be transposed to the present. This skill has taught me how to make a principled argument about the past, present – and future.
My advice to anyone thinking about heading to university is – make friends with your lecturers. They’re obviously there to help you, but the ways in which they can are vast, specifically if you’re looking for an elusive fact that barely anyone seems to have recorded!
To this end, also find out who your School’s Academic Librarian is. They will be able to help you find research sources. Their services are fantastic, and not enough students seem to know they exist.