How Seeing Plays Helped My English Degree
February 6, 2020
Starting my English Degree at the University of Nottingham, a course in which you are thoroughly taken out of your comfort zone if you expect anything resembling a ‘dry degree’, nothing terrified me more than one looming module: Drama, Theatre and Performance. There is something uniquely evil in taking a shy student and forcing them …
A Student’s Search for Presence
February 3, 2020
When we establish a routine, it almost feels like nothing in the world could ever disrupt our rhythm. The rhythm of lectures, seminars, workshops. The rhythm which binds us on a set journey towards a certain career. Some time ago, I would have shunned this rhythm. This monotony. Yet, I realise that none of it …
Review: Ted Chiang’s Short Story Collections
January 30, 2020
Reading short stories is a satisfying use of leisure time for when you’re busy or just have a short attention span. It’s also vital to getting through the Creative Writing module. For me, there is no greater master of short stories than Chinese-American sci-fi author Ted Chiang. One of the most prestigious, least prolific authors …
A Guide to Fresher’s Fear
January 27, 2020
Freshers week. A few months ago these two simple words would make me feel an all-encompassing sense of dread. Even voicing the phrase was enough to make my mouth dry up a little. However, at present, I can proudly state I am a true survivor of this worrisome week and am offering to share some …
Reading: A Guide for Undergraduates
January 22, 2020
With most English undergraduates taking six modules per year, and each module carrying its own hefty reading list, it can be difficult to know how best to stay on top of such a daunting workload. Most of us are taking this course because we love to read, but finding time to read for pleasure can …
Having a ‘creative block’? How to stay creative when immersed in an academic world.
January 20, 2020
The University of Nottingham is a brilliant place. We are spoiled with an academic environment full of specialists, passionate about the subjects they teach. We are encouraged to read deeply and broadly, be inquisitive, be critical, be this and be that. I sometimes find myself so focused on the academic side of the course that …
How to Spend Your Christmas Holiday
December 18, 2019
With Christmas holidays coming up and assessments looming, many of you might be concerned with how best to spend the one-month break. Depending on your degree, you may be facing upcoming exams or coursework deadlines, in which case the holidays might look like a black hole of stress. Some of you may already be planning …
Book review on Slavery in Toni Morrison’s ‘Beloved’
June 10, 2019
This blog was written by first year English student, Harriet Mills. Morrison gives the voice to the people who didn’t have one and for me this is what made her tale on the impact of slavery, such an interesting and eye opening read. True, we cannot empathise with the characters but such a detail on …
Summer reading check list…
June 3, 2019
This blog was written by second year English student, Emily Hall. As the expanse of summer stretches out before us, many people will look forward to different things. Holidays, parties, weddings; all of the summer fun you can imagine. Perhaps something less common, but a relief for English students is knowing that you can finally …
Must Read (non-academic) Books This Summer
May 27, 2019
This blog post was written by final year English student, Hannah Smart. Whilst most students on most other courses will give a collective sigh of relief at the thought of not having to read anything particularly exhaustive until next semester, here in the School of English, we cannot wait to get our heads into another …
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