Omlet Smart Autodoor - New in box

[TAJ]

Anyone with any experiences to share of English Literature degrees (good or bad)? - DD is hoping to study this subject in a year's time - still hasn't found the 'perfect' course contents in a location/campus she also likes (not she is fussy or anything!)

 

Tracy

[scubababe]

Just spoken to S-D and she said as English Lit is a wide subject and the course content will change each year it maybe better to prioritise which Uni she would like to go too. The Times does a 'good Uni Guide' which may help. Once she has narrowed down the Uni choice then look at the course and it's content offered by those Uni's.

 

As English Lit is widely available she shouldn't have any problem in finding a course.

 

Hope this helps

[ChrisP]

My housemate at uni did English Lit + Creative Writing as an undergrad degree and something similar as a Masters course and really enjoyed both. He was at Aberystwyth Uni, the department was apparently very helpful/accommodating and he did okay in both courses.

The campus and town is lovely too, although I am biased seeing as I'll be doing my MSc course there this September as well as my BSc course which I've just finished!

[Cinnamon]

My daughter is studying English Lit at The University of Surrey, & she is really enjoying it.

She did have an add-on to also do creative writing,but dropped this fairly quickly to concentrate on the Literature.

She has just chosen her modules for her second year & has gone for Crime (Sherlock Holmes!) & Movie adaptations,which sounds great...there were lots of others she could have picked too.

 

The Uni is lovely - bright,fresh & modern, with a real focus on years out to work & employment after the degree - I would recommend visiting for sure. in fact my girl could well be helping the department out on open days too.

 

We also looked at Exeter (she didn't get in based on her predicted grade,but she actually got in the top 2% in the country on her final grade,which would have guaranteed her a place there), Bath (not impressed), Portsmouth (Ditto - didn't like the non-campus Uni at all) & Kent (brilliant,but she wanted to be nearer to home)

Kent did a course on English & American literature,the contents of which really appealed to my daughter (who wouldn't want to study classic American Lit???)

 

Good luck - if I can help,let me know

[TAJ]

Thanks - we have already visited Aber, Swansea, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, she is keen to look at Cardiff Uni, but we haven't got there yet - the course at UWIC looks good for what she wants, but she went to that campus with her school and didn't like it. Some she has found the open day uninspiring, others she has liked the course talk, but not thought it was somewhere she wanted to live - a fussy child! I think the guy who read a poem at the Aber talk put her off, but I will tell her the positives mentioned above. She has rejected a couple for being very American focused without visiting. She also went to an HE fair last Easter time.

 

We have carrier bags of prospectuses, have have looked at the uni ratings (as I work in a uni anyway I know most of that info anyway), I have also done a two page grid of prospective courses, their requirements, etc.

 

What I am clear on is what she thinks from websites and promotional material changes significantly when we visit - seeing the staff and place has a great impact - getting to 5 she would consider for UCAS is going to be hard!

 

She will be doing 3 * A2s subjects (expecting A-Bs), plus general studies A2 as a 4th, plus will have her maths A/S and her extended project qualification (EPQ).

 

HELP!!

 

Distressed mother of a teenager

[merlina]

Just my 2c - I think you've identified most of the issues.

 

Exact modules change regularly, so it's important to pick somewhere for the 'general emphasis' of a course rather than a specific module.

If she wants to study, for eg, 'modern feminist literature' make sure there's more than one or two people teaching it - or a staff change can herald a significant change in direction of the course. Look at the emphasis of the department - they tend to specialise in certain areas and with certain emphasis - eg Literature as performance; historic literature; modern lit; lit and film etc

 

Also be aware of the 'poetry factor' - lots of students aren't keen on poems; many places do little or no poetry; others do an awful lot

 

English depts are under a lot of pressure, especially away from the Russell Group etc to make English more vocational, eg with creative writing, which is not what everyone wants. There's also great pressure to be 'international' - hence the inclusion of lots of American etc work.

 

Sounds like your daughter is doing exactly the right thing - going and seeing places and the people who would be teaching her. A 'fit' there is, IMHO, one of the most important aspects and one which is sadly underestimated - not a lot can beat old-fashioned gut instinct!

[Cinnamon]

I would visit Kent,Surrey & Exeter,if you can - they were the ones that we really liked & that felt safe,contained & were campus based.

We were impressed with the English department in all 3 too.