6 answers
Jayla
Student
Frankfort, Kentucky
4
Questions
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What are common problem that occur while studying Political Science in college?
I plan on studying Political Science in college and I want to have an idea on what the environment is like.
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6 answers
Johnson Tran
Tutor
101
Answers
Houston, Texas
Updated
Johnson’s Answer
Many people find Political Science challenging because the reading and writing workload is heavier than expected. You'll spend a lot of time exploring political theories, policies, and current events, which requires critical thinking.
Staying objective is also tough since political topics can be polarizing. You need to consider perspectives you might disagree with, but this skill is valuable.
Good time management is crucial. Classes often involve research papers, debates, and presentations, not just tests. If you fall behind on readings, it can be overwhelming.
On the plus side, Political Science is fascinating because it focuses on real-world events. If you enjoy debating ideas, understanding government, and solving societal issues, you'll likely enjoy this major.
Also, seek internships or volunteer work with local government, non-profits, or advocacy groups. Hands-on experience is the best way to discover what you want to do after graduation.
Staying objective is also tough since political topics can be polarizing. You need to consider perspectives you might disagree with, but this skill is valuable.
Good time management is crucial. Classes often involve research papers, debates, and presentations, not just tests. If you fall behind on readings, it can be overwhelming.
On the plus side, Political Science is fascinating because it focuses on real-world events. If you enjoy debating ideas, understanding government, and solving societal issues, you'll likely enjoy this major.
Also, seek internships or volunteer work with local government, non-profits, or advocacy groups. Hands-on experience is the best way to discover what you want to do after graduation.
Thank you for giving me advice.
Jayla
Amanda Wilkerson
Human Resources
7
Answers
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Amanda’s Answer
Add me to the list of people sharing advice to work in the field during your studies. I have a bachelors and masters in political science and this was crucial in helping me understand how to apply the theory I was learning.
I would also say to be prepared for a lot of reading and understanding quickly shifting theory. Depending on the subset of political science you plan to study, there will likely be a lot of statistics and data science, so lean into those courses.
My last piece of advice is that you should expect to study alongside and under people whose beliefs are very different than yours. I highly recommend you get curious about their beliefs and learn about the 'why' behind them. This will help you understand how to move forward with savvy in our current political environment, while still staying true to your beliefs.
I would also say to be prepared for a lot of reading and understanding quickly shifting theory. Depending on the subset of political science you plan to study, there will likely be a lot of statistics and data science, so lean into those courses.
My last piece of advice is that you should expect to study alongside and under people whose beliefs are very different than yours. I highly recommend you get curious about their beliefs and learn about the 'why' behind them. This will help you understand how to move forward with savvy in our current political environment, while still staying true to your beliefs.
Michelle Duke
Developer Relations
13
Answers
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
The best advice I can give you is to go and do work experience in that area. Not only will you get a good understanding on whether you really want to study political science, but it will give you an idea of what the "environment is like". Whilst you're doing your work experience, you can ask others what they think of the landscape, the culture, how they got into their roles etc. Work experience is--in my opinion--the best way to go about this.
Craig Whyte
Technical Support Manager
2
Answers
Cork
Updated
Craig’s Answer
I fully echo the recommendation to gain work experience prior to or during your studies. My undergraduate degree was a BSc in Government & Public Policy, which included a six-month internship at the European Parliament. Engaging with people from diverse cultural and political backgrounds was an invaluable experience that directly sharpened my perspective, communication, and leadership skills. Developing an awareness of our own unconscious biases and actively cultivating empathy for opposing political mindsets is essential in this field, it transforms how you analyze policy and lead others.
Hiram Chu
High School College Counselor
11
Answers
Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
Updated
Hiram’s Answer
Hi Jayla, it’s great that you are planning ahead for your poli sci major because so much of doing well in it depends on skills built over years, not a single great semester. Essentially, political science at any serious level is argumentative writing under time pressure and word limits. This means that you should be doing far more analytical/persuasive essay writing now than a standard curriculum usually demands, not just more reading.
So, I recommend focusing on these general points:
• Engage in the following coursework where available: government/civics, comparative or world history, micro/macro economics, and statistics. A surprising amount of college political science, especially American politics and comparative politics, is now quantitative, and a student who arrives comfortable with basic stats skills has a real edge.
• Debate, Model UN, or Mock Trial build the same thinking poli sci majors need: constructing an argument, anticipating the counterargument, and thinking on your feet. These are especially essential for poli sci prep more than almost anything else.
• A foreign language, beyond the minimum requirement, pays off greatly if you end up focusing on comparative politics or international relations.
• Real-world exposure, from interning with a campaign, an NGO, a think tank, a local government office, or even student government leadership, will give you something to reason from later, instead of abstract / general thoughts.
For college specially, consider about these points so they're not a surprise:
• The reading load jumps, and the expectation shifts from "know what the reading said" to "have a position on whether the argument holds up." Passive reading habits that worked in high school stop working in college.
• Political science isn't one discipline and splits into subfields, such as American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and public policy that all feel quite different from each other. Most programs want a declared focus by sophomore year, so it helps for you to go in already having sampled some of these (even just through reading) rather than discovering everything your first few weeks as a freshman.
• Unlike pre-professional majors, poli sci doesn't hand you a career path, so this means law school, grad school, public policy, journalism, campaigns, and the private sector are all options for you to seriously consider. Students who do well are the ones who start testing these paths early through internships rather than waiting until junior year to think about things more deeply.
• Encourage building a relationship with at least one professor early because research assistant positions and honors thesis opportunities come through faculty relationships, and those are what actually separate a strong, satisfying poli sci degree from an average one.
• A complementary second major or minor tends to sharpen a poli sci degree; common strong pairings are economics, data science/statistics, a regional language, or history.
• Aim for a summer internship every year rather than one "big" senior year experience because the accumulated experience and network matter more than any single placement.
So, I recommend focusing on these general points:
• Engage in the following coursework where available: government/civics, comparative or world history, micro/macro economics, and statistics. A surprising amount of college political science, especially American politics and comparative politics, is now quantitative, and a student who arrives comfortable with basic stats skills has a real edge.
• Debate, Model UN, or Mock Trial build the same thinking poli sci majors need: constructing an argument, anticipating the counterargument, and thinking on your feet. These are especially essential for poli sci prep more than almost anything else.
• A foreign language, beyond the minimum requirement, pays off greatly if you end up focusing on comparative politics or international relations.
• Real-world exposure, from interning with a campaign, an NGO, a think tank, a local government office, or even student government leadership, will give you something to reason from later, instead of abstract / general thoughts.
For college specially, consider about these points so they're not a surprise:
• The reading load jumps, and the expectation shifts from "know what the reading said" to "have a position on whether the argument holds up." Passive reading habits that worked in high school stop working in college.
• Political science isn't one discipline and splits into subfields, such as American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and public policy that all feel quite different from each other. Most programs want a declared focus by sophomore year, so it helps for you to go in already having sampled some of these (even just through reading) rather than discovering everything your first few weeks as a freshman.
• Unlike pre-professional majors, poli sci doesn't hand you a career path, so this means law school, grad school, public policy, journalism, campaigns, and the private sector are all options for you to seriously consider. Students who do well are the ones who start testing these paths early through internships rather than waiting until junior year to think about things more deeply.
• Encourage building a relationship with at least one professor early because research assistant positions and honors thesis opportunities come through faculty relationships, and those are what actually separate a strong, satisfying poli sci degree from an average one.
• A complementary second major or minor tends to sharpen a poli sci degree; common strong pairings are economics, data science/statistics, a regional language, or history.
• Aim for a summer internship every year rather than one "big" senior year experience because the accumulated experience and network matter more than any single placement.
This was super helpful, thank you!
Jayla
Andrew E
Marketing
4
Answers
Seattle, Washington
Updated
Andrew’s Answer
Hey! Fellow former political science major here. I loved majoring in poli sci in college, took many amazing classes, and learned so much from it. Poli sci can be a challenging major because it requires a lot of reading and long writing assignments for every class, but if you like government, foreign affairs, and current events, you'll likely find the work to be energizing. I enjoyed reading and writing about political issues way more than literature or other topics.
I also think political science opens up many different career pathways, both in and out of government. In college, I had a wide variety of internships, including a US senate campaign, a big law firm, and a biotech company. From there, I decided to pursue business instead of government and went into consulting to start out my career. And I've been working in business ever since (I now work in tech).
Despite not pursuing a career in government, the poli sci major taught me vital skills that I still use in my business career every day. Poli sci teaches you to be a good critical thinker, to make a strong argument and back it up with evidence and data, and to write really well. Also, having a strong knowledge of how governments work and of current events happening around the world will help you in any career path. I'm so happy I pursued my passion in college, and I highly recommend poli sci if it's a passion area for you too!
I also think political science opens up many different career pathways, both in and out of government. In college, I had a wide variety of internships, including a US senate campaign, a big law firm, and a biotech company. From there, I decided to pursue business instead of government and went into consulting to start out my career. And I've been working in business ever since (I now work in tech).
Despite not pursuing a career in government, the poli sci major taught me vital skills that I still use in my business career every day. Poli sci teaches you to be a good critical thinker, to make a strong argument and back it up with evidence and data, and to write really well. Also, having a strong knowledge of how governments work and of current events happening around the world will help you in any career path. I'm so happy I pursued my passion in college, and I highly recommend poli sci if it's a passion area for you too!