Supercurriculars for English Literature
Hi!
For context, I plan on applying for English at Oxbridge, and am struggling for supercurriculars. I go to a really academic sixth form and they're quite pushy about doing one activity every month, but I've only done one essay competition (results pending). All my friends who are applying for law/finance/med find it super easy to do supercurriculars, but I can't seem to find any for English (and I do NOT want to be a lawyer). So, I have a multi-part question:
1. What supercurriculars can I do?
2. Do they really matter for Eng Lit? My personal statement is mainly going to be about my reading
3. And, while you're here, should I apply for Oxford or Cambridge? They seem to be the same course, so should I go for whichever place I like better? Or Oxford because it's the "humanities one"?
For context, I plan on applying for English at Oxbridge, and am struggling for supercurriculars. I go to a really academic sixth form and they're quite pushy about doing one activity every month, but I've only done one essay competition (results pending). All my friends who are applying for law/finance/med find it super easy to do supercurriculars, but I can't seem to find any for English (and I do NOT want to be a lawyer). So, I have a multi-part question:
1. What supercurriculars can I do?
2. Do they really matter for Eng Lit? My personal statement is mainly going to be about my reading
3. And, while you're here, should I apply for Oxford or Cambridge? They seem to be the same course, so should I go for whichever place I like better? Or Oxford because it's the "humanities one"?
Reply 2
Supercurriculars for English mostly involve reading beyond the curriculum. What Oxbridge English tutors are looking for is someone who reads widely, ie hasn’t just read the 1 Dickens novel they were told to for A level but lots of others to compare it with, and has read a wide range of different genres and literature from different periods. And also someone who is interested in literary theory and excited by analysing literature through different frameworks.
Going to talks, listening to podcasts, entering essay competitions all nice and fine too, but what you really need to show is a love for English literature and a motivation to explore it independently.
This is super curricular as it is not part of your A level work.
Going to talks, listening to podcasts, entering essay competitions all nice and fine too, but what you really need to show is a love for English literature and a motivation to explore it independently.
This is super curricular as it is not part of your A level work.
Reply 3
Original post
by jackkerouwackHi!
For context, I plan on applying for English at Oxbridge, and am struggling for supercurriculars. I go to a really academic sixth form and they're quite pushy about doing one activity every month, but I've only done one essay competition (results pending). All my friends who are applying for law/finance/med find it super easy to do supercurriculars, but I can't seem to find any for English (and I do NOT want to be a lawyer). So, I have a multi-part question:
1. What supercurriculars can I do?
2. Do they really matter for Eng Lit? My personal statement is mainly going to be about my reading
3. And, while you're here, should I apply for Oxford or Cambridge? They seem to be the same course, so should I go for whichever place I like better? Or Oxford because it's the "humanities one"?
For context, I plan on applying for English at Oxbridge, and am struggling for supercurriculars. I go to a really academic sixth form and they're quite pushy about doing one activity every month, but I've only done one essay competition (results pending). All my friends who are applying for law/finance/med find it super easy to do supercurriculars, but I can't seem to find any for English (and I do NOT want to be a lawyer). So, I have a multi-part question:
1. What supercurriculars can I do?
2. Do they really matter for Eng Lit? My personal statement is mainly going to be about my reading
3. And, while you're here, should I apply for Oxford or Cambridge? They seem to be the same course, so should I go for whichever place I like better? Or Oxford because it's the "humanities one"?
1/2) Your wider reading counts as "supercurriculars", just be sure to write about it in a way that demonstrates how you have engaged with texts at a deep level instead of just mentioning books you've read.
3) If possible, visit both of them on open days. Just pick whichever one you like most. Arguments about prestige or one being better for a particular subject is negligible between the two universities. The only difference I can think of is that Oxford does some interesting joint honours courses, English and Modern Languages/History/Classics, so if you are interested in any of those it might be worth looking into. Otherwise, just pick whichever you can best imagine yourself enjoying.
Reply 4
20
Lots of good suggestions here :
Super-Curriculars and Resources | St Anne's College, Oxford
Looking for ways to explore your subject? | Lucy Cavendish
Online taster session - 11 March -
English Literature: The many loves of Jane Eyre | Undergraduate study | The University of Sheffield
Moocs to do over the Summer :
Understanding Shakespeare's Language - Online Shakespeare Course - FutureLearn
Jane Austen: Myth & Reality - Online Course - FutureLearn
Robert Frost: The American Voice - Online Course - FutureLearn
etc etc
And 'how to incorporate all of this into your PS' advice
Super-Curriculars and Resources | St Anne's College, Oxford
Super-Curriculars and Resources | St Anne's College, Oxford
Looking for ways to explore your subject? | Lucy Cavendish
Online taster session - 11 March -
English Literature: The many loves of Jane Eyre | Undergraduate study | The University of Sheffield
Moocs to do over the Summer :
Understanding Shakespeare's Language - Online Shakespeare Course - FutureLearn
Jane Austen: Myth & Reality - Online Course - FutureLearn
Robert Frost: The American Voice - Online Course - FutureLearn
etc etc
And 'how to incorporate all of this into your PS' advice
Super-Curriculars and Resources | St Anne's College, Oxford
Reply 5
Original post
by jackkerouwackHi!
For context, I plan on applying for English at Oxbridge, and am struggling for supercurriculars. I go to a really academic sixth form and they're quite pushy about doing one activity every month, but I've only done one essay competition (results pending). All my friends who are applying for law/finance/med find it super easy to do supercurriculars, but I can't seem to find any for English (and I do NOT want to be a lawyer). So, I have a multi-part question:
1. What supercurriculars can I do?
2. Do they really matter for Eng Lit? My personal statement is mainly going to be about my reading
3. And, while you're here, should I apply for Oxford or Cambridge? They seem to be the same course, so should I go for whichever place I like better? Or Oxford because it's the "humanities one"?
For context, I plan on applying for English at Oxbridge, and am struggling for supercurriculars. I go to a really academic sixth form and they're quite pushy about doing one activity every month, but I've only done one essay competition (results pending). All my friends who are applying for law/finance/med find it super easy to do supercurriculars, but I can't seem to find any for English (and I do NOT want to be a lawyer). So, I have a multi-part question:
1. What supercurriculars can I do?
2. Do they really matter for Eng Lit? My personal statement is mainly going to be about my reading
3. And, while you're here, should I apply for Oxford or Cambridge? They seem to be the same course, so should I go for whichever place I like better? Or Oxford because it's the "humanities one"?
They're not the same course at all. Generally, the oxford course is far more historical, and chronologically it begins earlier at Old English, whereas the Cambridge course begins in the middle english period. (This means the oxford course will include translation work from Old to modern english, beowulf etc) Cambridge has practical criticism, which is essentially taking texts out of context and analysing them for their own merit. For your supercurriculars question, for English, reading is a supercurricular. Reading around your subject is exactly what they're looking for - they just want to see a genuine interest in the subject.
Reply 6
Original post
by majortomlivesThey're not the same course at all. Generally, the oxford course is far more historical, and chronologically it begins earlier at Old English, whereas the Cambridge course begins in the middle english period. (This means the oxford course will include translation work from Old to modern english, beowulf etc) Cambridge has practical criticism, which is essentially taking texts out of context and analysing them for their own merit. For your supercurriculars question, for English, reading is a supercurricular. Reading around your subject is exactly what they're looking for - they just want to see a genuine interest in the subject.
thank you! I wasn't aware of this
Reply 7
Original post
by McGingerLots of good suggestions here :
Super-Curriculars and Resources | St Anne's College, Oxford
Looking for ways to explore your subject? | Lucy Cavendish
Online taster session - 11 March -
English Literature: The many loves of Jane Eyre | Undergraduate study | The University of Sheffield
Moocs to do over the Summer :
Understanding Shakespeare's Language - Online Shakespeare Course - FutureLearn
Jane Austen: Myth & Reality - Online Course - FutureLearn
Robert Frost: The American Voice - Online Course - FutureLearn
etc etc
And 'how to incorporate all of this into your PS' advice
Super-Curriculars and Resources | St Anne's College, Oxford
Super-Curriculars and Resources | St Anne's College, Oxford
Looking for ways to explore your subject? | Lucy Cavendish
Online taster session - 11 March -
English Literature: The many loves of Jane Eyre | Undergraduate study | The University of Sheffield
Moocs to do over the Summer :
Understanding Shakespeare's Language - Online Shakespeare Course - FutureLearn
Jane Austen: Myth & Reality - Online Course - FutureLearn
Robert Frost: The American Voice - Online Course - FutureLearn
etc etc
And 'how to incorporate all of this into your PS' advice
Super-Curriculars and Resources | St Anne's College, Oxford
wow this is incredibly helpful, thank you so much!
Reply 8
Original post
by jackkerouwackHi!
For context, I plan on applying for English at Oxbridge, and am struggling for supercurriculars. I go to a really academic sixth form and they're quite pushy about doing one activity every month, but I've only done one essay competition (results pending). All my friends who are applying for law/finance/med find it super easy to do supercurriculars, but I can't seem to find any for English (and I do NOT want to be a lawyer). So, I have a multi-part question:
1. What supercurriculars can I do?
2. Do they really matter for Eng Lit? My personal statement is mainly going to be about my reading
3. And, while you're here, should I apply for Oxford or Cambridge? They seem to be the same course, so should I go for whichever place I like better? Or Oxford because it's the "humanities one"?
For context, I plan on applying for English at Oxbridge, and am struggling for supercurriculars. I go to a really academic sixth form and they're quite pushy about doing one activity every month, but I've only done one essay competition (results pending). All my friends who are applying for law/finance/med find it super easy to do supercurriculars, but I can't seem to find any for English (and I do NOT want to be a lawyer). So, I have a multi-part question:
1. What supercurriculars can I do?
2. Do they really matter for Eng Lit? My personal statement is mainly going to be about my reading
3. And, while you're here, should I apply for Oxford or Cambridge? They seem to be the same course, so should I go for whichever place I like better? Or Oxford because it's the "humanities one"?
try and see a play, watch different versions online, compare them. try and translate stuff, loads of things online to help with that and compare different medieval translations. Ezra pound interesting example - Chinese poetry - very controversial
Reply 9
Hi, another English applicant here. I have done a lot of wider reading around my interests, but I am worried that I haven't looked into as many different literary periods as I should have. The earliest is probably Jane Austen/the Romantics, and some early modern poetry. What would you recommend in terms of widening my interests? I listened to a podcast on euripides and greek tragedy...is this kind of thing worth pursuing, even if I'm not so interested in it as 19th/20th century stuff?
I'm thinking about applying to Oxford (for fun, no expectations) but having gone to an underfunded comprehensive school I've never had the chance to study any classical languages. Would I be very behind? Is it worth trying to teach myself something, or should I just focus on translations?
I'm thinking about applying to Oxford (for fun, no expectations) but having gone to an underfunded comprehensive school I've never had the chance to study any classical languages. Would I be very behind? Is it worth trying to teach myself something, or should I just focus on translations?
Reply 10
least employed thread in existence
Reply 11
If you are applying for English rather than Classics and English then they are not going to be worried in your knowledge of or interest in classical languages.
The English degree is focused on literature written in the English language so I would read around that rather than translations of Euripides (unless you are interested in how Greek tragedy is received by later English tragedians or something). For pre-19th century material, how about Milton or Pope or Elizabethan/Jacobean drama? Or read some Chaucer or Old English in translation?
The English degree is focused on literature written in the English language so I would read around that rather than translations of Euripides (unless you are interested in how Greek tragedy is received by later English tragedians or something). For pre-19th century material, how about Milton or Pope or Elizabethan/Jacobean drama? Or read some Chaucer or Old English in translation?
Reply 12
Original post
by xyz1234567If you are applying for English rather than Classics and English then they are not going to be worried in your knowledge of or interest in classical languages.
The English degree is focused on literature written in the English language so I would read around that rather than translations of Euripides (unless you are interested in how Greek tragedy is received by later English tragedians or something). For pre-19th century material, how about Milton or Pope or Elizabethan/Jacobean drama? Or read some Chaucer or Old English in translation?
The English degree is focused on literature written in the English language so I would read around that rather than translations of Euripides (unless you are interested in how Greek tragedy is received by later English tragedians or something). For pre-19th century material, how about Milton or Pope or Elizabethan/Jacobean drama? Or read some Chaucer or Old English in translation?
Yep!! Thanks, I did that thing on Greek Tragedy because we were taught a little bit about it in relation to Macbeth at GCSE, and I wanted to delve deeper so I could apply it to Othello. Thanks for the recommendations, I will look into Chaucer
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