BSc (Hons) Geography course preparation

Suggested reading

You will be given much more detailed information about which textbooks, including ebooks, to read and an introduction to the University Library, when you begin your studies.

In the meantime, below are the details of some textbooks and other resources which will may be required reading for your Year 1 modules or may help you prepare for your first year of study:

• Holden, J (ed.) (2012) An Introduction to Physical Geography and the Environment. (3rd Ed.) Pearson Prentice Hall.
• Cloke, P. Crang, P & Goodwin, M (eds) (2014) Introducing Human Geographies. (3rd) Arnold.
• Daniels, P, Bradshaw, M, Shaw, D, Sidaway, J. (2012) Human Geography: Issues for the 21stCentury (4th) Prentice Hall.
• Kneale, P (2011) Study Skills for Geography, Earth & Environmental Science Students. (3rd) Arnold.
• Cambridge Compass Magazine (2018) Preparing to Study Geography at Uni? 5 Suggestions

Suggested materials

One of the more exciting and stimulating parts of your degree course is fieldwork, where classroom learning is put into practice. Therefore, if you don’t already have them, it would be advisable to invest in a rucksack and a good set of waterproofs (jacket & trousers) in preparation. Walking boots or stout footwear with ankle support are also usually required for fieldwork.

Royal Geographical Society

If you’re thinking about a future career in Geography take a look at the Royal Geographical Society website.

Things to do now

Geography concerns itself with the understanding of physical and social processes within the broader environment: Where and why do we find things in certain locations? How do these things change over time and what do we know about their future development?  We are natural investigators!

To help you prepare for your BSc Geography, here are a few activities that we recommend and a short task to complete:

1. Read a chapter of ‘An Introduction to Physical Geography and the Environment’ by Joseph Holden.
2. Read a chapter of ‘Human Geography: The Basics’ by Andrew Jones.
3. Listen to the Royal Geographical Society’s podcast with Tim Marshall, author of the seminal book ‘Prisoners of Geography’.
4. Listen to the Royal Geographical Society’s podcast with Professor Rob MacKenzie and Professor Jeremy Pritchard talking about ‘Forests and the carbon cycle’.
5. ‘What will the world look like after the Coronavirus pandemic? Listen to Geoff Mulgan.
6. Take a look at our UniSkills webpage to prepare for your first year. 

Your short task:

Geography is a topical subject and we believe that if you look closely at the world around you, you will find a geographical connection.  The following activity will help to demonstrate just how important Geography is:

Look at the daily news headlines, select a few and draw a mind map thinking about how they relate to Geography.  You should try to consider key geographical themes such as: location; place; processes; human-environment interaction.

Additional ways to prepare

Preparing to start

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Find out more about who you are

The following information provides an insight into what to expect when coming to university along with some good advice on how to navigate some of the potential challenges you may face.

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