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Oppenheimer and The Waste Land

Early on in Christopher Nolan’s 2023 film Oppenheimer, there is a whirlwind montage of the young J. Robert Oppenheimer imagining phenomena within quantum physics. We see visions of the universe, atoms and waveforms intercut with shots of Oppenheimer surrounded by art, history, and monumental architecture. It is a kaleidoscopic composition signifying the turbulence of the …

How MA Applied English made me a better museum professional when I least expected it

I graduated with my BA in English Studies from UoN way back in 2004; 19 years later, in 2023, I’m just about to hand in the final piece of work of my MA in Applied English, studied via Distance Learning. In my tour guide costume at the National Justice Museum The Galleries of Justice, now …

How working on the ‘Plants & Prayers’ exhibition gave me post-uni clarity

As someone studying a non-vocational degree (BA History of Art and English), I am often inundated with questions about what I plan to do when I graduate. What people expect to hear is ‘teaching’ or ‘journalism’ or, as my parents probably hope, ‘a PGDL course’ so I can follow in the footsteps of my hotshot …

Podding along: studying a distance learning MA as a mature student

It seems a lifetime ago when I was timidly embarking upon the Applied English Distance Learning MA back in 2020. I remember feeling waves of self-doubt about completing MA – after so many years away from Higher Education – questions played on repeat through my mind, haunting me with fears of not being good enough, …

Working full-time, studying part-time and keeping long-term goals in mind

Lots of blogs will tell you about ways to manage your time with conflicting responsibilities, however, what I want to discuss is:  How I identified my ‘why’ which helped to focus my choices.     How I found alternative ways to pursue my long-term goals when plans changed.   Whilst studying part-time with Nottingham University’s distance learning MA …

Reflecting on the past year of my PhD

A PhD researcher’s life is certainly varied! 2022 has been an enjoyable, successful, and productive year and I have enjoyed working with many different people. The following is a selection of highlights from this year’s research journey. Much of my main research has involved collecting, writing, and editing the place-name survey for the Isle of …

Carrying out research within the School of English

The academic jump between A-levels and University can be really intimidating, especially when you’re expected to start researching and citing more for your essays. Don’t stress out about it just yet! Your tutor and professors will be willing to support you with the transition, and this article is going to cover some helpful resources to …

Exploring historical buildings and archaeological monuments in Bulgaria

At the end of August and beginning of September, I was asked to be part of a group funded by the European Union’s Erasmus + programme sent to Bulgaria to study Bulgarian heritage and culture; the particular focus of this placement was the conservation of historic buildings and archaeological monuments. The programme included first-hand experience …

BAAL Vocabulary Studies SIG conference

This blog was written by Ana Pellicer–Sánchez, Assistant Professor in Applied Linguistics The School of English at the University of Nottingham hosted the annual meeting of the BAAL Vocabulary Studies special interest group (SIG) on the 7th and 8th of July. The event was a great success with over 60 attendees from different countries, including the …

BAAL Vocabulary Special Interest Group Conference

This blog was written by Norbert Schmitt, Professor of Applied Linguistics, School of English. Thursday 7th July, 2016, 13.00-17.00 and Friday 8th July, 2016, 10.00-16.30 University of Nottingham Vocabulary is an essential aspect of learning any language.  While much of vocabulary is acquired incidentally as a young child when learning a first language, second language learners often struggle …