Liberal Arts - Applicant Activity Hub

You can get a first taste of classical myth by reading Stephen Fry's Mythos: charming and modern narratives retelling less thunderous, and at times less well known, myths from ancient authors that will become your companions throughout your journey. 

Watch some 'bad' archaeology movies – these are always a favourite amongst students and there are so many to choose from – like Pompeii (2014). Many of these films are incredibly entertaining (ie. Indiana Jones) yet also often highly inaccurate in their portrayal of major historical events, characters and cultures of antiquity (The Last Legion (2007)). Although they may be 'bad' because they are inaccurate, they are fascinating examples of what modern film producers and audiences expect the practice of archaeology to be or the ancient world to have been like. So watch a few and think about how and why they are made in a particular way. What's been changed? What's been left out? This can be especially fun if you're preparing for university by reading some ancient texts (ie. If you're reading The Iliad, give Troy (2004) a watch).

Why not have a few movie nights and check out some of these interesting films and shows on Criminology:

No Country for Old Men  (trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38A__WT3-o0)

City of God  (trailer at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfnGQetbX-U)

Breaking Bad (TV series) (trailer at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NpEA2yaWVQ)

The Woodsman (trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7SjEfXP-gQ)

Catch Me If You Can (trailer at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xas1UyTiVUw)

Mystic River (trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUPnGySXuv4)

Orange is the New Black (TV series) (trailer at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY0qzXi5oJg)

You can watch a series of plays called Black Lives, Black Words. Inspired by the BLM movement, these plays are performed by RHUL Drama and Theatre students, with a post- performance discussion led by Professor Lynette Goddard and Dr. Melissa Blanco Borelli.

You could also read any of the short books in the Theatre & …  series published by Bloomsbury to get ahead in your understanding of this subject. Theatre & Audience by Helen Freshwater would be particularly useful. The great thing is that these books are written with a first year University readership in mind.

Economics is much more than you think, and there’s plenty of content available for you to explore to find out more about it! For example, open your eyes to what economics can really do with this video from the American Economic Association: https://vimeo.com/135871291

It’s also a subject that offers a surprising amount of choice! Discover what economics can offer you with this video from Discover Economics! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXAR-j5OaSI

Looking for a summer read?

Take a look at The Independent’s list of best new books for 2026 https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/books/best-new-books-b2125663.html

Or celebrate Pride Month with The Booker’s 12 book recommendations https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/features/12-of-the-best-novels-for-pride-month-from-the-booker-library

Or perhaps you're raring to write your own story?

You might have heard of heard of Flash Fiction —  it’s storytelling stripped to the bone, quick, punchy tales usually under 1,000 words that hit hard and leave a mark. It’s perfect for busy lives; packing emotion, twists, and meaning into just a few paragraphs. Why not try creating something short but powerful with these Flash Fiction prompts: https://www.squibler.io/learn/writing/writing-prompts/flash-fiction-prompts/

Or you could take those prompts and get leaner still with Postcard Fiction – just 500 words to make a big impression in a tiny space. Twists, turns, development and meaning – can you fit it all on a postcard?

Climate Change the FAQ's

"Climate Change: The FAQ’s " is a dissemination video created by an international team of scientists to answer the most common questions asked by young students about the climate change. The video has been funded by the program "Cuenta la Ciencia" of the Fundación General del CSIC.

Time for Geography: Link here

Gentrification: economic, social and political effects

Dr Mike Dolton (cities/gentrification/urban change) Video link

Aerocene

Dr Sasha Engelmann (The Geohumanities, Creative Geography, Air and Atmosphere) Link here

If you’re looking for something to watch, the film Suffragette (2015) casts fresh light on the history of women's rights. While prominent figures like Emmeline Pankhurst feature in the film, the story offers vivid insights into the role of working-class women in the fight for women’s rights and female enfranchisement – a history not well known today among the general public, but certainly one that deserves much more attention.

Deeper back in history, Prof Jonathan Phillips is one of the world’s leading experts on the Crusades in the twelfth century. In an episode of the comedy podcast You’re Dead to Me, Jonathan discussed Saladin with Greg Jenner and Maria Shehata. You can listen to the podcast here.

The Guardian has a great collection of stories on the The Case for Language Learning, relating to the challenges, pleasures and practicalities of learning languages. Have a look at the stories to get some inspiration. Have you ever thought of using your other interests and passions - such as food or music - to help with your languages?

Words Without Borders is an excellent starting point to explore literatures from across the world. It publishes a range of fiction and non-fictional works, including short stories, drama, poetry, and graphic novels. It also publishes monthly ‘to watch’ lists of works you really don’t want to miss!

Wondering where you start when you study maths at uni? Professor James McKee has made this short podcast on "How can I prepare for mathematics at university?". Why not give it a listen? It will give you some hints and tips to help you feel comfortable with starting uni.

You might also be wondering if there is anything useful you could be reading to prepare you for university mathematics. There are some good books out there, and here are two that we particularly recommend as being both interesting and useful:

How to think like a mathematician: a companion to undergraduate mathematics by Kevin Houston.

How to study for a mathematics degree by Lara Alcock.

If you’re interested in film, television and digital production, you might like to take a look at the films our final year students made and even consider taking our peer-reviewing challenge:
Little Big Screening Challenge Document

Or if you’re more into video games and digital worlds, you might like to take part in our game jam, or even design a mini retro game of your own:
Game Jam Briefing

A good movie recommendation for music lovers is Joe Wright's The Soloist (2009) – it's on Netlix. It's about a cellist, performance, mental health, and Beethoven's music. It's particularly thought-provoking at the moment as we understand just how important our mental health is to us.

And if you’re looking for something to think about, take some time to consider how and why do we value music? All our debates, all our histories, all our different approaches to music, assume that what we’re studying somehow matters. Why? What is it that music does which makes us value it so much?

If you enjoy listening as much as reading, there are two philosophical podcasts well worth exploring: 

•    Philosophy Bites, at https://philosophybites.com 
•    History of Philosophy Without any Gaps, at https://www.historyofphilosophy.net 

Or if there are particular topics or philosophical thinkers that you’d like to start learning more about, an excellent place to start is the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, free, online, and written by established academics. Each entry includes a substantial bibliography of further reading. 

Why not check out a brilliant political podcast - Past Present Future. Here David Runciman explores the history of ideas across diverse realms like politics, philosophy, and technology. Each week, Runciman engages in conversations with a range of experts, shedding light on the origins of influential ideas and their contemporary relevance.

If you prefer reading, one of the best places to read about academic research for this subject is The Conversation which provides independent news analysis and informed comment on range of issues, written by academic experts working with professional journalists. You can read articles written by academics at Royal Holloway here: https://theconversation.com/institutions/royal-holloway-university-of-london-795

Dr Sam McCormick discusses how you can prepare for a degree in psychology and some of the topics covered in the module "How to become a psychologist" 

Dr Sam Fairlamb discusses a first-year module “Understanding Individuals and Groups”