Studying English Literature at University: A Year in Review

As I sit down to write this post, I’m starting to feel lots of different emotions. I am over the moon that I’ve finished all my assessments and exams but I’m also really sad and quite scared as it only feels like yesterday that I was moving into my room. When I speak to people about their University experience they always mention how quick it went, and I totally agree with them, I don’t know where the time has gone but thinking about it I’ve met some amazing people and already done so much in my first year! We’re going to split this post into two because both of us have had very different University experiences, as I’m doing English and Eleanor is doing Midwifery and believe me when I tell you she’s got so much to share, I always love hearing about it when we have our weekly Skype calls!

Anyway, for those of you who don’t know, I’ve just finished my first year at Chester University studying English Literature. My course was split into four modules, Studying Literature, Approaches to Literature, Contemporary Literature and finally Poetry.  Studying Literature involved looking at classics, like Hard Times and Northanger Abbey which I enjoyed to some extent but I much preferred Contemporary Literature and reading works by McEwan and other contemporary authors. Approaches to Literature is where I studied Harry Potter and the Hunger Games and involved looking at them through different theories and approaches, but now I can’t look or read those books in the same way as I did before; I’m constantly analyzing them! Finally, my Poetry module is pretty self-explanatory and although it was my first pick I absolutely loved it and my tutor who has helped me discover my hidden love for poetry.

One of the best things about this course is being able to read and study a range of texts across different periods as well as being able to find and discover authors you never knew you loved. I’ve also been able to meet a load of people who share the same passion for English as me and even found a few people that love YA novels and authors like Cassandra Clare and Sarah J Maas. For me, being surrounded by all these people can be a bit intimidating especially on the first day when we were asked to share the last book we read. I remember everyone saying something really intellectual like, ‘Great Expectations’ or ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ but when it came to my turn I admitted that the last book I read was some trashy romance novel which I loved. I didn’t care that it wasn’t impressive I just wanted, to be honest, and plus it made a few people laugh which is a great ice breaker.

This year has been absolutely amazing, I’ve been able to learn so much, read loads of book and meet so many lovely people who I can’t wait to start my second year with! If you have any questions in regards to University or starting an English degree feel free to comment down below, I would be more than happy to answer them!

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