Throughout my Film Studies course with UoS, I was impressed by the standard of teaching that was consistently maintained by lecturers – particularly in the Film department. Lectures were engaging, thoughtfully planned out and delivered, and I always left feeling more informed and excited that my studies were developing. In seminars, discussions were typically informal enough to elicit lively conversations and debates, but structured enough to consider how these debates could further our work and learning.

Consistent requests for student feedback and close engagement between lecturers and their classes enforced a sense that our thoughts and feelings genuinely mattered and informed the teaching experience. Lecturers were almost always very reflective and receptive to feedback.

The only issues that arose from the course are ones either caused or exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Teaching was put at a standstill for a short time whilst it was decided how it would continue during a national lockdown. Whilst it took a while to adjust to “the new normal”, I was impressed with the efforts most of my lecturers went to maintain their high standard of teaching and accommodate students struggling to adapt. Since graduating, however, I have felt that more could have been done to prepare us for finding work or further study beyond university. Whilst I understand that the faculty was coping with a series of new pressures, I am not alone in feeling that I left Southampton underprepared and overwhelmed by the prospect of finding work. Pastoral support was not as readily available as it would have otherwise been, for reasons beyond faculty control. I feel that more video-call meetings or a support group would have been hugely beneficial.

Regardless, the course itself was varied and exciting, incorporating a huge variety of fields and topics. I remain hugely impressed by the standard of teaching and overall uni experience.