If you study a BA English, what was what you enjoyed the most?

[GetThatHelmetOn]

That’s the question really. What was the amazing thing of studying an English degree? What made it special? What made you decide over other degrees?

Obviously, it would help to know the language properly! Studied not study! 😁

It's some time back now but I adored it. I was always a reader and am a curious and nosey bugger with good analytical skills. I loved really going beyond the surface of the narrative, pulling it apart, seeing what wasn't there.

It's quite difficult to articulate it (ironically) but learning how nothing is created in a vacuum, the cultural and social impact of the written word etc.

As in any arts/humanities degrees even though i don't work in a related field it's given me many skills which I use - I work in a job where I have to communicate difficult technical subjects to non experts and the skills I learned have really helped

One of my goals as my kids get older and leave home is to revisit it - I'd love to study for an MA.

I loved most of the units, especially 19th century literature and film studies. I really enjoyed looking into social norms and historical influences and how they shape all sorts of writing.

I wasn't too keen on the poetry units but that was more to do with the lectures and focus.

I now work in educational buying and books are a big part of my role. I use lots of the skills from my degree every day and I'd also love to do a Masters.

I was an absolute Shakespeare nerd, even in my teens so having a whole term on him was heaven.

I became a feminist at uni and discovered feminist criticism which opened my eyes and made me think so much more deeply and broadly - very enriching. It also led me to seek out less well known (at the time) authors in all centuries, who happened to be female.

I also absolutely loved practical criticism and still do. Being given a poem or chunk of prose and having to sleuth it like Sherlock to discover how it works, how it is structured, what effect the language or rhythms have on the reader. Bliss. I still love it almost above everything else in life, and use this skill in my work. People talk about 'flow' (Happily engaged in what you're doing so you lose sense of time) and I've realised I am most in 'flow' when I am doing prac crit.

I tacked quite a bit of linguistics and media studies on to my literature degree which I really enjoyed and I think has stuck with me much more than the lit side. I didn’t turn up for most of my course to be honest, and hated every second of university, so probably not the best person to ask. We were able to pad our course out with a wide range of other courses which seem to have had a much more of a lasting impact. I have had to write well in all my jobs though and I do think having an appreciation of literature and the written word really helps with that.