Original post by ghala_exe
feel like there will be people a lot more well read than me at uni. i enjoyed literature at a level so much and i've always loved reading but i've slacked off these past 2 years and i've hardly read since then.. think the last book i read was maybe in early year 12 lol. terrified i'll go to uni and everyone there will be much more smarter and well rounded than i am given that i probably don't read anywhere near as much as them though i am 100% willing to read all the material given to me at uni and i'm prepared to work as hard as possible. never envisioned myself doing lit at uni but i loved it at a level so much and can't see myself doing anything else so i'm willing to give it a go but of course, my anxieties are preventing me from doing so. any advice?
.Original post by Pelumi_🌹
OMG, same as me.... Having so many anxieties, I know I can do it but my confidence is just so low.
are you also doing literature?
Original post by ghala_exe
are you also doing literature?
Child Nursing
Original post by ghala_exe
feel like there will be people a lot more well read than me at uni. i enjoyed literature at a level so much and i've always loved reading but i've slacked off these past 2 years and i've hardly read since then.. think the last book i read was maybe in early year 12 lol. terrified i'll go to uni and everyone there will be much more smarter and well rounded than i am given that i probably don't read anywhere near as much as them though i am 100% willing to read all the material given to me at uni and i'm prepared to work as hard as possible. never envisioned myself doing lit at uni but i loved it at a level so much and can't see myself doing anything else so i'm willing to give it a go but of course, my anxieties are preventing me from doing so. any advice?
Hi, I've just finished my first year studying English Literature, alongside Creative Writing, at Lancaster University. Imposter's syndrome is natural. You find yourself thinking-'I'm not good enough, because I haven't read this classic,' or that you don't read enough in general. I especially felt this due to having done a Gap Year beforehand. But you've got this. You wouldn't be going to this university if you weren't good enough. First Year is an adjustment, admittedly. You'll be okay, though.
If you have any more questions about Literature at degree level, let me know.
Best of luck,
L x
Imposter syndrome
What you're going through is extremely common. Even as someone already at uni who did perfectly fine in my first year, I often also question whether or not I am 'good enough for my degree'. It's an irrational and unnecessary concern for the most part.
What you're going through is extremely common. Even as someone already at uni who did perfectly fine in my first year, I often also question whether or not I am 'good enough for my degree'. It's an irrational and unnecessary concern for the most part.
Original post by Heathersrocks
Hi, I've just finished my first year studying English Literature, alongside Creative Writing, at Lancaster University. Imposter's syndrome is natural. You find yourself thinking-'I'm not good enough, because I haven't read this classic,' or that you don't read enough in general. I especially felt this due to having done a Gap Year beforehand. But you've got this. You wouldn't be going to this university if you weren't good enough. First Year is an adjustment, admittedly. You'll be okay, though.
If you have any more questions about Literature at degree level, let me know.
Best of luck,
L x
If you have any more questions about Literature at degree level, let me know.
Best of luck,
L x
what's english literature like in uni and how does it differ to a level? lancaster is actually one of my options haha esp combined philosophy and literature. thank u ❤️
Original post by ghala_exe
what's english literature like in uni and how does it differ to a level? lancaster is actually one of my options haha esp combined philosophy and literature. thank u ❤️
Ahh, no way! Philosophy was my minor. If you do Philosophy and English Literature, you'll have two Philosophy modules (PHIL 101, which I took, and PHIL 100, which my friend doing Philosophy on its own took). I only had a minor because I took two modules, which gave me space for an extra subject. It differs to A-Level in how you're assessed, at least at Lancaster. You submit an essay plan around Week 3, then an essay and a presentation before Christmas. The essays require you to look at about five to ten scholarly articles and reference them in a specific referencing style. After Christmas, you have your second essay due, and then you have two online English tests to undertake. In third term, you do a creative project of your choosing. You present it to the class, submit it and then submit a critical essay about it.
The main thing is, you read a lot more! You read a book a week most weeks, or a certain amount of poems. The first few weeks are on decolonisation and texts about this. You start the readings in Week Two, as Week One is introductory. You study Arrow of God, two poems by black women about their experiences, and The Tempest. You also study Paradise Lost, Wordsworth, Lonely Londoners, and a few other texts before Christmas. After Christmas, you study Paul Muldoon's poetry, Alison Bechdel's Fun Home, and a few other texts. It's really diverse, what you read. You also have articles as recommended reading and to read for your work. You don't technically take any exams, which also makes it different. Lancaster has an excellent English Literature department, and I couldn't recommend it there more.
I don't know loads about PHIL 100, except that it's to do with stuff like logic, the existence of God and metaphysics, broadly speaking. PHIL 101, which I studied this year, had difficult readings, but I'd never studied it before. I really enjoyed it, especially the seminars, where we would discuss the topics. There's five sections, and each one is studied over five weeks. You touch on statues and protest, gay marriage, environmental philosophy, Indian political philosophy, Islamic Philosophy, epistocracy, lottocracy and different types of democracy essentially. You look at applied ethics, the is/ought gap, and different moral dilemmas. It's really varied and interesting, and I enjoyed it! I can ask someone I know about Philosophy and Literature and how they find it. They were going to do what I do-English Literature and Creative Writing-but changed their mind to do what you want to do.
If you have any questions about the uni itself by the way, outside of academics, then feel free to let me know! I love it there personally, and couldn't be happier with the decision I made. I'm not just saying that, either-I genuinely mean it. The campus is beautiful, the people are friendly, there's really good support, there's plenty of shops, cafes and bars on campus, the town is lovely. It's one of the best unis in the country, the library is awesome and very useful, and the uni are relatively organised. There's a massive gym, over 200 societies and it's just a short bus ride to the town. It's a very safe campus. The nightlife is okay-there's a few nightclubs in town, and some pubs and bars. There's about eight bars on campus-one for each college. The college system is great, and it helped me find friends, personally. I couldn't recommend Lancaster Uni more!
Let me know on here or via message if you have any more questions!
Best of luck and all the best going forward,
L x
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