University College London - UCL Speciality : Linguistics
programme: Linguistics

Anyone attending UCL has objectively worked immensely hard to get here as it demands academic excellence. I began my journey at UCL with almost an air of complacency – that I had already made it. Studying here has dismantled this thought and propelled me to think deeper and more critically than I ever anticipated. My understanding of my degree (Linguistics) was, at first, hyper-focused to a purely sociolinguistic point of view from my English Language A-Level. However, the professors, who are experts in their fields, reframe your thinking to be that of an analytical linguist who questions and critiques every belief you and others have in this field. Oftentimes when I state my degree I get asked the question: “what languages do you speak then?”. One takeaway I hope people discover is that a linguistics degree is so much more than language; it stands at the intersection of computer science, psychology, neuroscience, sociology, and philosophy. The education you receive at UCL stands out to me as holistic, preparing you for a modern, technologically advanced and constantly changing job market.

UCL is an incredibly diverse and wonderful community, where everyone feels like part of something bigger than themselves. The faculty in my department (Linguistics) is lovely, easy to speak with, and very knowledgeable in their field. Campus is a bit scattered across central London, which can be difficult to navigate as a fresher, but it gets easier over time!

I would highly recommend this course for anyone interested in pursuing an undergraduate in linguistics, or anyone interested in foreign languages in general; it’s easy to couple this degree with a minor in a foreign language through CLIE UCL. This degree is taught by the top researchers in this field, who are incredibly supportive and skilled at teaching.
The recently renovated Chandler House (the building where the large majority of linguistics modules are taught in) has wonderful facilities with lots of private study spaces and an in-house library (LASS library).

This university is a leading global university for a reason: it pushes you to strive for your best, offers great support and helps to prepare you for life after university as well with its great career and internship opportunities. It also offers wellbeing services to support students with a range of matters, be it university-related or unrelated. The study facilities are beneficial, however due to the large scale of students it is often difficult to find a space, particularly during exam season.