An Apology for English Studies

December 2, 2014

Shakespeare booksI love books. I mean I really love books. I admit to being perfectly happy losing myself in a bookstore or library. And I am happy as a kitten whenever I get the chance to curl up with a book on Saturday afternoons. I love the feel of a book in my hands but I can also comfortably carry them with me on my tablet or listen to one in the car. All these stories and adventures give me the chance to explore life through the eyes of fellow human beings, share in their knowledge and feel their emotions all from my comfy chair. I guess you could say I am passionate about literature.

So much so that I decided to get a degree in English. At times however (and I have seen this in comments on the VLE and conversations with fellow students) it can be difficult, even for the most passionate among us, to explain exactly why we chose to study what we study. Others might even question the wisdom of doing an English degree in a technological world.

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A fresh start and 3 things that caught my eye this week

November 13, 2014

New BSc International Relations blogger Tim

New BSc International Relations blogger Tim

The moment it became real for me was as I took stock of the brown parcel in front of me. As I unwrapped it, I found my new study guides – the start of my BSc in International Relations. Applying and enrolling online had all seemed quite abstract. I was more used to a physical campus university, the type that is made out of bricks. In the days that followed there were more parcels, some little, some large. The pile of books on my desk became taller and taller.

I’m not new to studying. In fact, I graduated with a BA earlier this year. But I had become severely disillusioned with the path it was leading me down, so I called in my midlife crisis career change a little early. After the first few weeks of my student experience with UoL, I have realised how significantly different this degree is going to be.

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“With a little help from my friends…….”

November 7, 2014

A misty morningThe days are getting shorter here in the Midlands. And somehow it feels like the nights are getting darker too. Summer is gone and buried…. that much is clear now. And it has taken the light with it. There is this eerie silence in the village as I stare out the window. Clouds have descended on the green and it is hard to make out any shapes through the mist. The one tree I can still discern looks like a mere shadow of its former self. Winter is coming. The damp and cold are sneaking their way in and taking hold. I decide to turn on the heating but still can’t shake the sensation of impending doom and ‘all the happiness’ being drained out of me……

Hang on! That sounds suspiciously familiar. I am getting carried away, it seems, by my current module ‘The Novel’, as I sit a comfortable chair reading up on its history and narrative technique.

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