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Thinking about the future when time has lost all shape and predictability

English degrees don’t outline a select career path. We’ve all heard the jokes with that central gist, that the only thing to do with an English degree is to become a teacher (no shade implied; I have nothing but respect for the profession!). Of course, there are plenty of other jobs available to us too. …

Being Kind To Yourself – Coping With Normality In Changing Times

‘Coping with normality’ seems like an odd phrase, but it is one that is needed in these unprecedented times as tasks which seemed simple pre-2020 now seem like a challenge. Everybody knows that 2020 was a year like no other, and going into 2021 I do believe that we need to be kinder to ourselves …

Confessions of an escapism artist – handling escapism while social distancing

At times like these, the urge to escape from the world is greater than ever. This may be through TV, books, games, music… anything that might help someone mentally escape from the reality. And with modern technology, it is all too easy to achieve. You may not even recognise that you are doing it. It’s …

Beyond the Books: What Has University Taught Me?

Besides (hopefully) gaining an English degree, going to University has taught me so much. From theatre practitioners, the Irish Literary Revival and the works of Alexander Pope, to key poetic techniques and the acquisition of children’s language, my degree’s breadth has equipped me with vital analytical and critical skills. Yet my University education certainly went …

How to Keep Going in Difficult Times

The past few weeks have been an adjustment to say the least. Thanks to Covid-19, the world has moved indoors, and university has gone online. It’s frustrating; it feels like a lot has been taken away from us. As students, we were told that these would be the best years of our lives, where we’d …

Career Curiosity

We are always changing. Always discovering new paths and deciding whether to pursue them. We’re on a train journey of deciding whether to get off at that station and explore the landscape or stay on the train to see what lies ahead. Most importantly, we are all different. We are all getting off at different …

The Friendly Introvert

On a large campus, it is very easy to get swallowed up by the crowd. However, part of the university experience is getting out there and meeting new people. Not only is making connections important in making the campus feel more like a home, it is also an important skill to develop for your budding …

Life-lessons from F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

Still one of the most watched TV shows, ‘Friends’ has somehow remained relevant. It’s popularity among younger audiences is undeniable, and has become a go-to when it comes to binge-watching a comfort programme. It is one that our generation has grown up with and makes us nostalgic for a time before us. I have recently …

Ask a Busy Person

“How do you find the time?” I’m asked this often. I’ve worked full-time in heritage for 20 years, I’m a trustee for a local charity and I have a side hustle. Nothing unique about that, but there’s a saying in my network that if you need something doing ask a busy person. To be honest …

How Seeing Plays Helped My English Degree

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 …