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Got my grades, gap year, which university?

Hi guys,

Got my grades yesterday and they were far better than I expected, and I'm looking to take a gap year so I can apply to Oxford - but I don't know where else to apply! Can anyone recommend any English or related courses/unis that would likely make me an offer with my grades? I got A*A*AAC.

Thanks!
Kalona
Reply 1
Original post by boddah27
Hi guys,

Got my grades yesterday and they were far better than I expected, and I'm looking to take a gap year so I can apply to Oxford - but I don't know where else to apply! Can anyone recommend any English or related courses/unis that would likely make me an offer with my grades? I got A*A*AAC.

Thanks!
Kalona

what sort of course are you looking for? what forms of literature excite you? which living authors do you admire and ideally would love to be taught by?
Reply 2
Original post by 2500_2
what sort of course are you looking for? what forms of literature excite you? which living authors do you admire and ideally would love to be taught by?

Suggestions for any one of straight Literature, Literature/Language or Literature/Language with a language would be good as I am primarily interested in Literature, but found my English Language A Level (A*) really interesting too! I have a soft spot for poetry slightly over novels and plays, particularly the Romantics and also punk spoken word, but I do really enjoy postmodernism, surrealism and dirty realism too - particularly Murakami, Beckett and Bukowski. I also enjoy medieval and early modern literature, especially epics. As for living authors, I really admire Carol Ann Duffy!! But I don't know whether she teaches...
Reply 3
Original post by boddah27
Suggestions for any one of straight Literature, Literature/Language or Literature/Language with a language would be good as I am primarily interested in Literature, but found my English Language A Level (A*) really interesting too! I have a soft spot for poetry slightly over novels and plays, particularly the Romantics and also punk spoken word, but I do really enjoy postmodernism, surrealism and dirty realism too - particularly Murakami, Beckett and Bukowski. I also enjoy medieval and early modern literature, especially epics. As for living authors, I really admire Carol Ann Duffy!! But I don't know whether she teaches...

yes, she's professor at Manchester Met creative writing. https://www.mmu.ac.uk/english/staff/profile/index.php?id=5
(which you may not be looking at if you are snobbish about your unis, but do check out the teaching staff)
(edited 3 years ago)
Reply 4
Original post by 2500_2
yes, she's professor at Manchester Met creative writing.

Aha, thank you! Could English Literature with creative writing there be a good choice then? I am slightly concerned of it's reputation (but perhaps that's because of my school's snobbery)
Reply 5
Original post by boddah27
Aha, thank you! Could English Literature with creative writing there be a good choice then? I am slightly concerned of it's reputation (but perhaps that's because of my school's snobbery)

You get 5 choices. You've got time to check them out, use it wisely.
Pick the best unis for what you want to do, not only the reputation. Maybe depends where you see yourself going post-undergrad too (ie you may want to start more traditionally and then go to a more creative postgrad)
Reply 6
Original post by 2500_2
You get 5 choices. You've got time to check them out, use it wisely.
Pick the best unis for what you want to do, not only the reputation. Maybe depends where you see yourself going post-undergrad too (ie you may want to start more traditionally and then go to a more creative postgrad)

good ones to look at - Bristol, UEA, Manchester, Nottingham, Durham, St Andrews, York, Birmingham, Lancaster
Maybe think about Dublin?
Reply 7
Original post by 2500_2
You get 5 choices. You've got time to check them out, use it wisely.
Pick the best unis for what you want to do, not only the reputation. Maybe depends where you see yourself going post-undergrad too (ie you may want to start more traditionally and then go to a more creative postgrad)

Yeah, definitely - I think starting traditionally could be good because that could allow me to progress into a wider range of post-grad fields but also be related to more jobs. On the subject of jobs, would an English course with a language be good for employability prospects? I already enjoy reading literature in the original language (I know Spanish and German) as well as in translation.
Reply 8
Original post by 2500_2
good ones to look at - Bristol, UEA, Manchester, Nottingham, Durham, St Andrews, York, Birmingham, Lancaster
Maybe think about Dublin?

Okay, thank you! On the idea of moving away (e.g. Dublin), could the US be a possibility? I know nothing about the process so I'm not sure if learning about it now would be too late and I ought to concentrate on UK choices instead.
Reply 9
Original post by boddah27
Okay, thank you! On the idea of moving away (e.g. Dublin), could the US be a possibility? I know nothing about the process so I'm not sure if learning about it now would be too late and I ought to concentrate on UK choices instead.

well that's a whole other discussion and there are a lot of hoops to jump through (including financial). Lots of threads on here can help.
Original post by boddah27
Hi guys,

Got my grades yesterday and they were far better than I expected, and I'm looking to take a gap year so I can apply to Oxford - but I don't know where else to apply! Can anyone recommend any English or related courses/unis that would likely make me an offer with my grades? I got A*A*AAC.

Thanks!
Kalona

Hi @boddah27,

I've just finished my first year studying English Literature, Creative Writing and Practice at Lancaster University.

Lancaster is a consistent Top 10 University and is 1st for Creative Writing in the UK. It has a joint department of English Literature and Creative Writing, allowing an interdisciplinary approach that I really love. There are lots of different English-related courses available at Lancaster, ranging from a straight English Literature, to my degree, English Language and Linguistics, and lots of Joint Honours. If you check out any of these course pages, similar courses are also suggested at the bottom. The grades for English Literature, for example, are AAB.

There is also a minor system at Lancaster, which allows you to trial different subjects in your first year, alongside your main degree. So, you could decide to choose something related to your subject, such as Linguistics, Creative Writing, English Language, etc, or something completely different! For example, if you like international texts, you could choose the optional module of World Literature (looking at a greater variety of texts across different cultures) or even do another language. I did French in my first year, and studying French literature really complemented and supported my main degree.

I've loved studying English Literature and Creative Writing at Lancaster because the department is incredibly friendly and supportive. There are opportunities for creativity, experimentation and personal exploration. There are also a lot of modules available that correlate with your interests, such as British Romanticism, Modernism towards Postmodernism, Late Medieval to Early Modern Literature, etc. You can find the current modules offered here (although this is subject to change).

I'd also really recommend the Creative Writing aspect of the department, if that is something that you would also be interested in. Both English and Creative Writing communicate heavily and collaborate with each - often professors taking lectures on both sides - as well as with the other departments across the university. I've been really well supported in my first year, and, having gained a great overview of English Lit and how to write to a university standard, I'm looking forward to doing different modules next year!

If you have any questions about any of the courses mentioned, or any more information about studying at Lancaster in general, I'd be happy to help!

Maria :smile:
1st year English Literature, Creative Writing and Practice (placement year)
Reply 11
Original post by Lancaster Student Ambassador
Hi @boddah27,

I've just finished my first year studying English Literature, Creative Writing and Practice at Lancaster University.

Lancaster is a consistent Top 10 University and is 1st for Creative Writing in the UK. It has a joint department of English Literature and Creative Writing, allowing an interdisciplinary approach that I really love. There are lots of different English-related courses available at Lancaster, ranging from a straight English Literature, to my degree, English Language and Linguistics, and lots of Joint Honours. If you check out any of these course pages, similar courses are also suggested at the bottom. The grades for English Literature, for example, are AAB.

There is also a minor system at Lancaster, which allows you to trial different subjects in your first year, alongside your main degree. So, you could decide to choose something related to your subject, such as Linguistics, Creative Writing, English Language, etc, or something completely different! For example, if you like international texts, you could choose the optional module of World Literature (looking at a greater variety of texts across different cultures) or even do another language. I did French in my first year, and studying French literature really complemented and supported my main degree.

I've loved studying English Literature and Creative Writing at Lancaster because the department is incredibly friendly and supportive. There are opportunities for creativity, experimentation and personal exploration. There are also a lot of modules available that correlate with your interests, such as British Romanticism, Modernism towards Postmodernism, Late Medieval to Early Modern Literature, etc. You can find the current modules offered here (although this is subject to change).

I'd also really recommend the Creative Writing aspect of the department, if that is something that you would also be interested in. Both English and Creative Writing communicate heavily and collaborate with each - often professors taking lectures on both sides - as well as with the other departments across the university. I've been really well supported in my first year, and, having gained a great overview of English Lit and how to write to a university standard, I'm looking forward to doing different modules next year!

If you have any questions about any of the courses mentioned, or any more information about studying at Lancaster in general, I'd be happy to help!

Maria :smile:
1st year English Literature, Creative Writing and Practice (placement year)

Thank you so much, that's super helpful! Well, I've now decided 2/5 of my options, thanks you :smile:
Original post by boddah27
Thank you so much, that's super helpful! Well, I've now decided 2/5 of my options, thanks you :smile:

No worries!

If you have any other questions, let me know!

Maria :smile:
1st year English Literature, Creative Writing and Practice (placement year)

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