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Why did you choose to come to ¿Û¿Û´«Ã½?

¿Û¿Û´«Ã½ had the most welcoming campus and the beautiful greenery around the lake was what really won me over. Also, ¿Û¿Û´«Ã½ was one of the only universities that offered English literature students a placement year. Study abroad opportunities are more common in other universities but the chance to work for a year, amid an arts degree, was rare. 

What do you like about your course and why?

I love the diversity of the course. I’ve had a love for books for as long as I can remember. Both of my parents are librarians and so I was raised with a wealth of literature at my fingertips. The modules offer a chance to explore things that are not necessarily in the ‘canon’ of English literature - we study politics, ideologies, history, philosophy and so much more.

The staff at ¿Û¿Û´«Ã½ are amazing! They are always so supportive and encouraging of our work and always make time to help us if we are struggling. I would like to give a special shout out to my personal tutor, Paul Vlitos, who has always gone above and beyond to make sure that I have had a great experience here at ¿Û¿Û´«Ã½.

Have you been on a Professional Training placement?

For my Professional Training placement, I worked in two separate areas concurrently as an archivist. The first was at the mental health charity Lamp, where I created an archive for their 30^th anniversary and wrote a book celebrating their history. This was an amazing experience and the book ended up being published by De Montford University Press.

My second placement was at De Montfort University. Here, I worked in a team of archivists and my role included cataloguing, social media and creating online exhibitions, so people were able to view archive materials during the pandemic.

A Professional Training Placement (PTP) provides such valuable experience which would be difficult to get otherwise. If I had any advice for others considering a PTP, it would be to say yes to every opportunity. I’ve definitely developed a huge range of skills, both in my degree and on my placement year, that will make me a valuable asset to a workplace.

Do you know what you want to do when you graduate?

After I graduate, I am considering further study. I love my degree so much and I want to keep going! I am looking at a masters degrees all over the country, and after that, potentially a PhD.

Learn more about studying an English Literature degree at the ¿Û¿Û´«Ã½.