Exeter or York for english lit?

[muzzymenomum]

Any experience of either for eng lit please. DD has offers from both but unsure as she likes both courses. Thanks

UP that's a great story! MillyMolly - in the not too distant past the course with the highest number of applicants per place at Oxford was...English. You could take your arguments the opposite way - namely that given that everyone will tell you how you'll never get a job etc with English, that you have to be extremely committed and independent minded to do it! It's an excellent discipline (biassed here - it's what I teach), and both York and Exeter extremely good courses. I'd probably go for York as my impression is that Exeter is absolutely research obsessed, which is sometimes not great for students.

My dd is choosing between York and Exeter for History. She has only been to York so far & loved it. Can't see how you can beat York as a place to live - only downside is it is so far away. Going to Exeter soon.

Recently spoke to an engineer about by two eldest dc's choices of subjects (languages and History) and his reply was 'what a waste!'

How ignorant of that engineer!

Languages are hugely marketable. As is History.

York's History department is great too, btw. And, again, a vote for the medievalists if your DD is interested, littleham (York is unusual in having a very strong interdisciplinary set-up with its medievalists, so historians and English Lit people know each other well and some teach cross-discipline, which is why I know a bit about both).

I know! I think he said this because they were quite good at maths, but it isn't what they love and you only get one life. This guy is very intelligent and usually speaks good sense. Just show you how fixated the country has become on training engineers (which is good, but not everyone is suited to it).

Nice to hear that information about York, especially as medieval is her favourite period. Fingers crossed for some good exams. However, if it all turns to rubbish she likes her reserve too.

Fingers crossed for her.

I agree with you so much - you need to enjoy what you're doing!

As a DD with a degree in MFL, sadly they are not hugely marketable. It may have escaped everyone's attention but there are a lot of people who work in this country who are native speakers of various world languages and speak English perfectly too. It is highly unlikely my DD will ever use her languages in her chosen career. Her friend that went into translation hated every minute of it and is now training to be a teacher. You do languages, as she did, because she loved them, but totally accepted that doors would not open because of them.

DH is a Chartered Engineer and supported our girls with their arts degree choices and did not push them into his field of work for which they were not suited. That would have happened in some families - he owns the company and they would have got jobs! Not all Engineers think everyone has to be like them!!! Although the guy that owns my local petrol station asked why on earth she was studying languages. He thought it was a waste of time. I agree that the country is obsessed with STEM subjects and does not value other talents. Quite a lot of engineers my DH interviews might be intelligent, in a STEM way, but they have all the personality of a baked bean!!!

Maybe that's just your DD, milly. You seem to be extrapolating an awful lot from one example here.

I doubt it's escaped anyone's notice - the fact remains that language degrees are useful, and teach an awful lot more than just linguistic proficiency.

My dad's an engineer. Plenty of engineers are lovely people; plenty are not. Same with any subject.

A lot of banks and other highly paid jobs have a language as a pre-requisite these days. And developing it further through qualifications in Area Studies, especially of the emerging markets, massively opens up the opportunities, especially if everything else is in place, work experience, personal qualities etc.