best universities for political activity ?

[scarletghoul]

I'm hoping to get into uni next year, and would rather kill myself than be stuck somewhere without any leftist activity. I'm hoping to do cultural studies, (ideally in London but anywhere will do) and am really stuck as I know nothing about the different places and really need some help deciding. What are the best universities in the UK for a dedicated communist ??

[ellipsis]

UK, i dunno, Bobkkkindles seemed to do well at oxford! US there are quite a few.

[bricolage]

I'm hoping to do cultural studies,
What is cultural studies? Is that a whole degree?

But seriously I'd advice you not to pick your university based on where is the most politically active. Pick a place that you like, that you would like to live and which has a good course.

[Spawn of Stalin]

If you're 100% set on moving to London then SOAS and London Met both have quite a lot of activity, I doubt SOAS run the course you are interested in unless you wanted to study the culture of a specific region or country. Both Manchester Uni and Met are quite active but I imagine they are mostly dominated by Trotskys, this is the case at any uni but I went to freshers week up there are I saw A LOT of SWP and SP members...in other words, good luck finding other Maoists, they're all in London.

To be honest I think as long as you are in London it doesn't matter how active the students at your uni are, there's always something going on and you'll never be stuck for something to do...just remember Stalin Society meetings are held every four or five Sundays at the King's Cross Neighbourhood Centre.:D

[Struggle]

Depending on your qualifications, London School of Economics is a very active leftist university. Although, very hard to get into.

I'd recommend you focus more on your studies, rather than focusing on getting into a particular leftist university. However, usually the best Universities are the ones with the most political and Leftist students, with the exception of Kings, Oxford and Cambridge.

London would obviously be the best place to study in terms of political activity and having a great pool of resources. Although again, think about whether you want to prioritise quality of teaching or political activity.
My feelings on the subject is that most politically active students are based at the best universities in the first place, as they often tend to have studied political theory much more than students at 'inferior' universities.

[nuisance]

I'm hoping to get into uni next year, and would rather kill myself than be stuck somewhere without any leftist activity. I'm hoping to do cultural studies, (ideally in London but anywhere will do) and am really stuck as I know nothing about the different places and really need some help deciding. What are the best universities in the UK for a dedicated communist ??
There are Commies in Norfolk.

[Tablo]

Go to the school that best meets your educational needs. If you are in London I'm sure you will find plenty of leftists to work with whether they go to your university or not.

[Leonid Brozhnev]

Abertay Dundee, Sociology lecturers are 90% Marxist. The rest are confused. You'd still need to sit through shit about Weber, but the lecturers make up for it by taking the piss out of Tories.

[scarletghoul]

What is cultural studies? Is that a whole degree?

But seriously I'd advice you not to pick your university based on where is the most politically active. Pick a place that you like, that you would like to live and which has a good course.
I dont care about much else tbh, the struggle is the most important thing to me. Im not gonna fucking waste 3 years of my life getting a degree no matter how good the uni is when I could have been organising for revolution

im not decided on the course, its really of secondary importance to me

If you're 100% set on moving to London then SOAS and London Met both have quite a lot of activity, I doubt SOAS run the course you are interested in unless you wanted to study the culture of a specific region or country. Both Manchester Uni and Met are quite active but I imagine they are mostly dominated by Trotskys, this is the case at any uni but I went to freshers week up there are I saw A LOT of SWP and SP members...in other words, good luck finding other Maoists, they're all in London.

To be honest I think as long as you are in London it doesn't matter how active the students at your uni are, there's always something going on and you'll never be stuck for something to do...just remember Stalin Society meetings are held every four or five Sundays at the King's Cross Neighbourhood Centre.:DI'll be sure to pay the Stalin Society a visit ha. Yeah that's my worry about places up north theyre full of trots, I'm hoping to be involved with a movement that actually works with the masses and can start building revolutionary consciousness beyond a few students going around with signs and newspapers.


Depending on your qualifications, London School of Economics is a very active leftist university. Although, very hard to get into.

I doubt I could get into SOAS or LSE, all I have is a BTec in Art.

Is London Met hard to get into ??

I'd recommend you focus more on your studies, rather than focusing on getting into a particular leftist university. However, usually the best Universities are the ones with the most political and Leftist students, with the exception of Kings, Oxford and Cambridge.

London would obviously be the best place to study in terms of political activity and having a great pool of resources. Although again, think about whether you want to prioritise quality of teaching or political activity.
My feelings on the subject is that most politically active students are based at the best universities in the first place, as they often tend to have studied political theory much more than students at 'inferior' universities.I really am not so bothered about the course and all that; its a necessary evil, not some thing I could ever enjoy doing (thats why im doing art because its the easiest thing). If there was no political activity I would not be able to cope with life.

And yeah maybe some of the most educated leftists go to the best universities but to be honest that doesnt make them the best comrades. Id rather work with someone in touch with the people than someone who takes their studies too seriously. Bobkindles has already been mentioned in this thread.

There are Commies in Norfolk.
Where are they active ? I know some are active in norwich but not very much and I cant afford to get the bus or train there all the time. (I'm in Yarmouth. If theres anyone here say so but I havnt come across any)

[scarletghoul]

Abertay Dundee, Sociology lecturers are 90% Marxist. The rest are confused. You'd still need to sit through shit about Weber, but the lecturers make up for it by taking the piss out of Tories.
Hmm sounds cool, I'll look into it. would I be able to take sociology with a btec in art as my only qualification

[Spawn of Stalin]

Mate study an art at LCC or even CSM if you get good results from your ND. In my experience art courses in London are dominated by people who are at least sympathetic to progressive ideas. Plus it's 3 years sitting around drawing, sounds like a plan to me!

And no, London Met isn't really that hard to get into, but then that does depend on what you decide to study.

[scarletghoul]

Hmm I might do art but really I find it easier to write essays than draw..

LCC seems alright tho
i think i can apply to 5 or 6 so keep the suggestions coming in

[Spawn of Stalin]

You'll always be able to write no matter what you do with your life. I have wanted to be a photojournalist since I took up photography as a hobby like 9 years ago, and now I'm going to study that next September, but I'll still be able to get the editors of Proletarian and Lalkar to assign me articles to write, Marxism-Leninism is still the most important thing in the world to me, but I do want a career in something else, that is, until we have a revolution. I think the importance of formal study is massively overstated, I've never studied politics or economics in my life but I still consider myself to be pretty competent on the subject, granted I was raised by an anarchist for 18 years but 99% of what I know, I know from books I have picked up at Oxfam and Morning Star sales. But I guess if you really want an intense learning experience of the ins and outs of the world, then a degree is probably the best choice for you. If this is the case then bailey should be able to offer you some advice

[Burn A Flag]

Anyone know of any praticularly leftist universities in the USA, especially Virginia and that proximity?

[scarletghoul]

You'll always be able to write no matter what you do with your life. I have wanted to be a photojournalist since I took up photography as a hobby like 9 years ago, and now I'm going to study that next September, but I'll still be able to get the editors of Proletarian and Lalkar to assign me articles to write, Marxism-Leninism is still the most important thing in the world to me, but I do want a career in something else, that is, until we have a revolution. I think the importance of formal study is massively overstated, I've never studied politics or economics in my life but I still consider myself to be pretty competent on the subject, granted I was raised by an anarchist for 18 years but 99% of what I know, I know from books I have picked up at Oxfam and Morning Star sales. But I guess if you really want an intense learning experience of the ins and outs of the world, then a degree is probably the best choice for you. If this is the case then bailey should be able to offer you some advice
No no i do not have any illusions about an academic course complementing my Marxism, nor do I hope to pursue any kind of academic career. I just genuinely find writing a lot more easy than making 'art'. Though art students are generally better people.. do you know any other good london unis for art ?? its not a bad idea i guess

[bricolage]

ok no offence but if you don't care about the course or have any interest in doing well in it why are you looking to spend three years of your life studying it, getting in tens of thousands of pounds worth of debt and spending further money on living costs that you won't be able to have a full time job to support? you say the struggle is most important to you but the struggle is much bigger than the university. you dont have to be a student to be politically active.

[black magick hustla]

we need less people who go to college to "learn communism" and more people who are just fucking normal and dont have pretenses of bein the leaders of the TEH REVOLUTIO

[scarletghoul]

ok no offence but if you don't care about the course or have any interest in doing well in it why are you looking to spend three years of your life studying it, getting in tens of thousands of pounds worth of debt and spending further money on living costs that you won't be able to have a full time job to support? you say the struggle is most important to you but the struggle is much bigger than the university. you dont have to be a student to be politically active.
I have severe anxiety problems and can not get a job.

[scarletghoul]

we need less people who go to college to "learn communism" and more people who are just fucking normal and dont have pretenses of bein the leaders of the TEH REVOLUTIO
where the fuck did i say i wanted to 'learn communism' or have any idea of leading anything. and forgive me for not being fucking normal. i live in a geographically isolated region with no communist activity, have aspergers suplemented by extreme depression and anxiety, and because the system is made for 'fucking normal' people i do not fit in anywhere. I have to make the most of what is available to me. dont you think i would love to be 'fucking normal' and just get a job and shit. if only it was that simple. if youre not gonna help you can fuck off

[black magick hustla]

where the fuck did i say i wanted to 'learn communism' or have any idea of leading anything. and forgive me for not being fucking normal. i live in a geographically isolated region with no communist activity, have aspergers suplemented by extreme depression and anxiety, and because the system is made for 'fucking normal' people i do not fit in anywhere. I have to make the most of what is available to me. dont you think i would love to be 'fucking normal' and just get a job and shit. if only it was that simple. if youre not gonna help you can fuck off

im sorry if you felt offended. i guess sometimes i am very mean when typing,

my point is not "normalcy" though. i am not normal either. my point is that going off to university for "communism" is missing the whole point of communism. i mean if you want to move to london by using university as an excuse its good but campus politics are not as exciting as you think they are. i bet you will find more interesting people outside the university by speaking to non student communists in london

[Unidos Marchemos]

Good luck finding a suitable university in either the UK or the USA, as these countries seem really moderate in their outlooks.

if you want a good political university, I suggest you try the formerly-known-as Patrice Lumumba University (now People's Friendship University) in Moscow, Russia. I have heard nothing but good things about that place and it's a dream of mine to visit there some day and perhaps study.

[Widerstand]

im sorry if you felt offended. i guess sometimes i am very mean when typing,

my point is not "normalcy" though. i am not normal either. my point is that going off to university for "communism" is missing the whole point of communism. i mean if you want to move to london by using university as an excuse its good but campus politics are not as exciting as you think they are. i bet you will find more interesting people outside the university by speaking to non student communists in london

Having used University as a pretense to move to another city for the sole purpose of getting more involved politically, I disagree to an extent.

Yeah, campus politics itself may be rather boring (and other than large student protests and occupations they're often quite ridiculous, may I add), but you'll meet a wealth of people politically active outside the campus, in a relaxed atmosphere :p

But to SG: Really, really find some interesting subject. There's nothing worse than having to listen to some dickhead talking uninteresting and factually incorrect shit out of his oralanus for 3 years. I made this mistake, and went to study Islam science (which is a misnomer, it's more of "culture studies of Arab nations").

But hey, I quit pretty fast, and I'm looking forward to study social economy next year (a merger of economy, sociology and law)! Looks promising so far. There's lots of student participation in decision making, and the degree has a large, enforced quota of students with work experience as a qualification rather than highschool graduation. Also, the institute is pretty awesome, with a room for sprayers in the basement, a squatted cafe and a large Karl Marx painting in the entrance hall. Add to that, that social economy is one of, if not the most praxis and job oriented degrees my university offers, and I'm in for a fun ride :)

But really, I'd advise you to roughly follow these lines choosing a course:

- Find something that (remotely) interests you
- Find something that has (remotely) leftist students and professors. nothing more annoying than a course full of neoliberals stroking each others figurative cock.
- Find something that is geared towards job practice. Usually this is stuff like "Applied [...]", or at special universities (in Germany, they are often called Technical University or "Fachhochschule"). Look out for that, it should reduce the level of bullshit you'll be exposed to a lot.

[progressive_lefty]

I noticed your living in the United Kingdom, but the first Uni I thought of was Berkerly lol. I would have loved to have gone to Uni there..

[Unidos Marchemos]

I noticed your living in the United Kingdom, but the first Uni I thought of was Berkerly lol. I would have loved to have gone to Uni there..

Cal-Berkeley is filled with petit-bourgeoisie liberals who still love empire and capitalism.

the communists there, 9/10, voted for the statist Obama.

[Spawn of Stalin]

No no i do not have any illusions about an academic course complementing my Marxism, nor do I hope to pursue any kind of academic career. I just genuinely find writing a lot more easy than making 'art'. Though art students are generally better people.. do you know any other good london unis for art ?? its not a bad idea i guess

UAL is the best in my opinion, it is St Martins, LCC, Chelsea Art College, a fashion school which I don't know much about, and a few others. RCA is very good and not that difficult to get into provided your portfolio is up to scratch. Goldsmiths and Kingston both run good art courses but choice is limited especially in the case of Goldsmiths. Outside of London, Glasgow School of Art is easily one of the best in the country but I don't know how you would feel about living all the way up there, it's a fairly good city and you'll have no trouble finding other Communists up there but it's a bit of a pain if you ever fancy going home for the weekend.

[Leonid Brozhnev]

Hmm sounds cool, I'll look into it. would I be able to take sociology with a btec in art as my only qualification

Abertay isn't very demanding, the requirements for entry into most courses are low, something like B,B,C at Higher (not sure what the English equivalent grades would be like). As long as you have a decent grade in English (A Level?), you'd be fine.

[scarletghoul]

im sorry if you felt offended. i guess sometimes i am very mean when typing,

my point is not "normalcy" though. i am not normal either. my point is that going off to university for "communism" is missing the whole point of communism. i mean if you want to move to london by using university as an excuse its good but campus politics are not as exciting as you think they are. i bet you will find more interesting people outside the university by speaking to non student communists in london
yes thats my intention, i have no desire to spend all time on campus politics. i want to get involved with real socialist organising, thats why i said i want to go London and not some northern trot-hole.

[bricolage]

yes thats my intention, i have no desire to spend all time on campus politics. i want to get involved with real socialist organising, thats why i said i want to go London and not some northern trot-hole.
I imagine you will find more Trotskyists in London than anywhere else in the country.

[un_person]

I'm hoping to get into uni next year, and would rather kill myself than be stuck somewhere without any leftist activity. I'm hoping to do cultural studies, (ideally in London but anywhere will do) and am really stuck as I know nothing about the different places and really need some help deciding. What are the best universities in the UK for a dedicated communist ??



The college I'm going to dosen't have much, that is to say ANY, leftist activity. It's not that bad because then you get to help radicalize the campus which is very fun.

[Spawn of Stalin]

I imagine you will find more Trotskyists in London than anywhere else in the country.

This is true, but most Marxist-Leninists are in London too. RCPB-ML don't exist outside of London, neither do the NCP (lol), CPGB-ML's biggest branches are in London and our hall is there too, RCG are also very active in London. It is practically impossible to be an active ML right now if you live far away from a big city.

[Steve_j]

I studied at LCC, there is some activity and it has seen a few occupations over the years. It has a somewhat inactive marxist society for you to throw some energy into and the current UAL SU president is on the radical side, apparently around 800 UAL students were on the first National student march in london (not sure how its going since then) many of them from LCC.

In all honesty though I had issues with my course and the uni itself thus didnt enjoy it. However, my parter is a post grad student there and her course director is brilliant both as a teacher and in regards to her politics (same goes for the course content).

My advice echos those on the thread that suggested to chose a uni that is best for your subject. I guess you might also need to actually be sure as to what you want to study first, otherwise you might end up wasting time and money.

From there check all the differnt schools vetting for that course, meet the teachers, speak to current students about the course and do some reasearch on the politics of the school, the staff and the students, from there you might be able to find a good balance.