Temi Olaojo

What excites you most about your course?

I absolutely love my course. What excites me most about it is the idea of blending lots of different ideas and concepts together and seeing how law, ethics and politics all interact.

My recent Politics module, Contemporary Perspectives on Conflict, was really interesting because I could reflect on different conflicts and their ethical, legal and political implications. We’ve looked at the role of women in conflict, civilian victimisation and the role of international institutions and norms. All of these have different ethical, legal and political questions.

It shows how you can tackle one topic from so many different angles and I love the different possibilities.

How do you get to mix all the different parts of your course together?

The possibilities are endless with my course. International Law, Ethics and Politics is so versatile. There aren’t any specific interdisciplinary modules at the moment, but you can craft the degree to your personal and research interests across the three areas: Law, Philosophy and Politics. That flexibility is what I love.

In term 2, I’ll be taking the Law module International and European Legal Responses to Terrorism. This is a module that will bring in lots of different ethical and political questions, and I can explore these in my assignments.

The Philosophy module Topics in Global Justice is also one that I’m really excited about. We’ll be looking at themes like charity, whether we have a duty to be charitable to others, and if so, how far that duty goes. The answers to these ethical questions clearly have legal and political implications, and this is what I love about the course. It feels like everything can be linked in some way.

What's been the most fascinating philosophical debate on your course so far and why?

The most fascinating philosophical discussion in my course so far has been about why we care about when we die. It was interesting because it separated the idea of caring about dying from the idea of caring about when we die. Dying is expected and even though we know it will happen, we are still concerned about the timing.

Why should it matter if someone dies at 5 years old compared to 80 years old? If we are all going to die eventually, what makes us think that someone dying at 80 is better than someone dying at 5? This philosophical question has been my favourite to explore so far because it tries to uncover why we think certain things and what exactly justifies our beliefs.

It also linked to the bigger idea of why we care if the human race goes extinct. Ultimately, the discussion suggested that we care about when we die, and when humanity might go extinct, because we care about our potential future families and preserving their existence.

It’s an interesting question that can keep on being explored.

How do you think your course and studying at the University of Birmingham will help you with your future career plans?

My course is preparing me well for my future career plans because of how interdisciplinary it is. I love that there are law aspects and ethical questions, both of which can be really useful in the real world in lots of different environments. I would like to work in the public sector and in charity organisations in the future. The skills I am gaining in my course, like critical thinking, applying philosophy to the real world and asking questions from legal, political and philosophical perspectives, are skills I know will be useful in these areas.

In my course, there is also the option of a practice-based dissertation, which allows you to gain practical experience in a field related to your dissertation topic. This is a good example of how the International Law, Ethics and Politics course at the University helps prepare students for future careers.

I think studying at the University of Birmingham will help with my future career plans. The Careers Network is very active and sends weekly careers emails with different roles and opportunities to help with job applications and interview preparation. They provide support even after graduation, so it feels like a strong support network. In my course, we have also had a really useful careers session about where a degree in Philosophy could take you. It is also helpful that the University is a top university for graduate employers.

How have you been supported as a commuting student?

For me, the biggest challenge has been commuting and managing my time during and around my journeys. My commute can take up to an hour and a half with waiting times, so adapting to that routine has taken some effort. One of the things that has supported me most is the fact that the University has its own train station. Being able to step off the train and immediately be on campus removes a lot of stress and was a major factor in choosing the University as a commuting student.

I have also been supported by finding ways to make my commute more manageable. Deciding how to use that time has helped it feel less overwhelming. I usually listen to podcasts, music or read a book. Sometimes I even have enough time to do preparation for my seminars.

There is also a commuting students society, which provides a chance to meet other students who travel in each day. Knowing there is a group of people with similar routines and experiences has made commuting feel much easier.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to a future student?

One piece of advice I would give to a prospective student is to be open minded and ask questions. Course staff are here to help, so there is no need to feel nervous about reaching out. All the staff have been incredibly helpful so far and that support is a key part of the course.

Spending time in office hours is also really useful for your academic development and I recommend making the most of them. I would also encourage you to get involved in societies as much as you can. Societies are a great way to unwind from academic work and meet the wider university community. You might feel that a year is not a long time to get involved, but it’s what you make of it.

Overall, I would say always be willing to ask questions, listen to your peers and tutors, and take part in the things you enjoy.