Student review [#54688] for American Studies
at University of Hull

I went to the University of Hull and will be graduating as part of the class of 2023. My degree was in American Studies (without the year abroad). I found the course to be really interesting and varied; my modules included things like literature, history, film studies, critical theory, and prison studies among others. American Studies is an interdisciplinary subject, hence the varied nature of the topics studied. I liked this because it kept my interest – I think I would have gotten bored if the modules were too similar.

My course was entirely coursework based, meaning I did not have to sit any exams. I preferred this structure because it meant that I got to work on assignments for longer periods rather than getting stressed studying for exams. During my course, I had a variety of assignments. These included essays, commentaries, podcasts, presentations, academic posters and reflective pieces. I found the range of assessment types kept the course interesting, as well as allowing me to express my opinions/arguments in different formats. With essay format assignments, I found that a lot of the time I had the freedom to choose a question I wanted to answer. I liked being able to do this because it allowed me to be more comfortable when doing assignments.

Also, some modules had formative assignments. These are assignments that did not count towards the overall grade but they allowed me to get a feel for the module and what the marking criteria was. Each assignment did have marking criteria readily available, it’s just that these formative assignments allowed me to get feedback before my grades depended on it.

I found American Studies staff to be extremely helpful and supportive during my time at university. My course was quite small, which meant that I was able to receive time and support from staff easily. The staff were also incredibly patient with me, and I am extremely thankful for this. I found that the teaching was really clear and easy to understand. Equally, staff seemed eager to help.

I found it easy to apply for extensions and mitigating circumstances/additional consideration when I needed them. My only complaint regarding this is the fact that I did not have reasonable adjustment in place. On the system, there were no notes regarding me, despite the fact I had informed staff of my circumstances. This ultimately did not have too big an effect, it was just a bit irritating having to go over everything every time I needed to apply for additional consideration etc. I had friends who had similar issues but theirs were on the system, so I think it was just a blunder exclusive to me.

As for the campus itself, I found it to be a nice area. There are plenty of cafes on campus so there are a lot of places to eat or hang out. I liked the Wetherspoons because of its deals. It was also a convenient place to hang out and have drinks. Asylum (the nightclub) was not really my scene so I didn’t go a lot. I did enjoy watching Scouting for Girls perform there though. I am not really a club person, so live music was way more interesting to me.

The library has a lot of books available, as well as a good range of ICT facilities. I like the range of working spaces too; they have computer spaces, private rooms and more open working spaces. I am someone who likes to work privately so I often booked the working rooms. The library is 24 hours, aside from weekends when floors 3 and above close early. However, I found that the other floors were not particularly busy at unsociable hours (which was when I tended to go). The library also has a rare books collection. I have not personally been but I find it a cool idea. To see the rare books, you have to be supervised, meaning you must book an appointment and list the works you wish to see.

Finally, I think it is worth discussing the location itself. The university is near Newland Avenue which has a lot of restaurants and cafes etc., meaning that there is plenty to do without having to pay for a bus to town. There are also a number of pubs close to the university, meaning that it is easy to do a pub crawl. Hull itself is a good location to live because it allows for day trips. You could visit Beverley nearby or even get a train to Leeds, York or Scarborough for the day.

Overall I have enjoyed my time at the University of Hull. Although I have a view gripes – which I did outline in this review – they are not enough to tarnish my experience of the place. After taking everything into consideration, I would recommend this university.