The university provided both support and inclusivity at all levels, and it’s teaching staff made my peers and I feel supported throughout our degree. The university was, however, found lacking during the pandemic, when it failed to communicate clearly with us on its lockdown protocols and how our teaching would be effected.

As a first year student, I was anxious to move countries and just fit in into a completely different culture. The University of Manchester made it all so easy, with their constant events as well as initiatives for first years. The anxiety vanished as I lived here, found my friends, had more understanding of my course. Three years later now I feel like I am pretty confident with where I am in life, still enjoying every day of university.

Firstly, the campus is beautiful, especially the old buildings, it is very inviting. The library feels a little run down, however, there are newer buildings to study in instead. As for my programme, I felt that the lecturers made a big effort in Semester 1, investing their time into our small class of 12 students (there were only 12 places). Unfortunately in Semester 2, I feel that the effort was lost and we weren’t taught well. The strikes had a big factor in this, we weren’t on campus for nearly a month and had to fend for ourselves. This resulted in not learning as much in Semester 2, for an eleven grand masters course, this was disappointing. I would still recommend the course, however, as I have left with an internship in the industry, which hopefully will help me in my career prospects.

The University of Manchester, a research intensive University, offers a vast array of choice to students. While of course within every subject there are mandatory modules, the University of Manchester offer students a high degree of choice within their chosen academic field, allowing students to specialise within their specific interests and receive optimum enjoyment from their studies.
As a literature student, I have a particular interest in post-colonial and modernist texts, and I was thus able to choose modules to pursue this. The University of Manchester stands out as it places the choice back in students hands.
On top of this, the University of Manchester offers interdisciplinary units through the interdisciplinary college of learning, this allows students to broaden their interests and pursuit academic interests beyond their chosen field.
This level of choice supports students to fulfil all their academic desires.

No matter the situation; a family dinner, hanging out with mates, sitting in the back of an Uber, I am always faced with the question – ‘what the hell are you going to do with an English Degree?’

It makes sense – at this point in a degree one is confronted by the immediacy of the future. Panic sets in, grad schemes are considered, or God forbid it, a masters.

Unfortunately this panic has extended into the department and teaching of English Literature. The world is an ugly place, yet our degree transports us to other fantastic worlds or time periods.

The fact is I don’t care about where my degree is going to take me, and neither should my department. I don’t want to hear about how my essay or group presentation is going to help me gain ’employability skills’ or is in any way accurate of a ‘real’ reflection of working life.

This opportunity to study for the sake of studying is special, and should be treated as such. Give students more opportunity to investigate what they want and learn about what they are interested in, all the while learning not what it takes to be a diligent corporate drone, but an interesting and well rounded human being.

Nobody takes English Literature for the career options. They take it because they want to learn about the world. I just wish the department (and University administration, where the pressure undoubtedly stems from) would do more to fight for what going to university is really about.

The city is fantastic, and the university perfectly hits the balance between a campus feel and city connections. I have enjoyed my time thus far but really think the true value of this university is the societies and other activities it can put you in touch with. The teaching has been good but obviously I can’t compare with other universities. The number of contact hours is a joke and has made me slightly demotivated about my degree.