English Literature degrees in Eastern England

There is lots of building work going on, which is a bit annoying. There is also not a big shop close by, it's about a 25 minute walk, through some estates. I do not feel comfortable walking there by myself in the evening.

I find my university a great place to study because they have so much systems in place to help and support students through university life. So far I can’t find any fault because I have access to so much learning materials and support with wellbeing.

The University of Hertfordshire has great facilities, but there are quite a few unnecessary procedures that could be streamlined, such as booking appointments for even the smallest matters. My experience so far has been disappointing from an academic perspective. I was expecting better quality education, but instead, most of the lectures consist of simply reading from PowerPoint slides, and the practical sessions have been far from engaging. While I understand that self-study is important, not all students, especially international ones like myself, have prior industrial experience or expertise. It's crucial that the university recognizes this and provides clearer, more detailed information about the curriculum, how exams work, and what is expected in terms of assessments. Relying solely on self-study and putting too much responsibility on the students isn’t fair, especially when we're paying for a quality education.

The University of Essex is extremely international with students from 140 different countries. As an international students this makes me have a sense of community as there are a lot of students going through the same situations as me. The university also has a students union on the Top 10 in the UK. The students union is extremely active organising several events on the same day from arts and crafts, Thursday food markets, movie nights and much more. There is also the sport teams and gym on campus that students can join but to be honest as someone that does not like fiscal activity this are some facilities that I do not use often. The students union also advertises part time jobs for students which is very helpful as you can work around your studies and still make some extra cash and get some work experience. The library section for PG students is open 24/7 which is very handy when you are pulling an all-nighter. Students can also rent for free an individual study pod or a group study room. The reading for the modules are mostly online and free to access on the library website. There are computers all around the university that students can access at any time of the day to study or do some Python coding assignments in my case. I am part of the EBS department and all the academics are very helpful, you can always email with questions and they are quite quick in responding. The lectures are small which means you can have debates in class and also gives the teacher the opportunity to get to meet all the students an be able to help them with their specific needs. The teachers also have specific academic office hours on a weekly bases that students can attend if they which to discuss something in private or even if they want to continue discussing topics from lectures in depth. There are a number of talks organised by the departments where students can listen from industry professionals and get the chance to get to know more on how they should approach job applications to get into the industry. The university has the Languages for all programme where students can learn a new language for free, in my case I am learning Mandarin. So far I am still very green and I still not understand much but it it a fabulous language and it is quiet fun to draw the characters. There is a lot of societies students can join and get to meet new people. I myself am part of the Economics Society and the Women in Finance Society. So far we had events to meet up all the members but I know we are going to have an event with an external speaker to talk about training and also there is going to be a winter ball from the economics society, and lost more events that I am still not aware off. The university has a lot of green spaces, two lakes and it is amazing to go for a walk when there is no rain. We also have a 4 star hotel on campus where students can get discounts on their services. The university is only 30 minutes in the fast train form the central London which is very good to go out for a shopping day. Now the not so good part, I have to say the careers team that helps students with their CV gives very general advice and each student wants to apply to different industries and so we need specific advice and I do not think there are equipped for that. The Well-being Team even thought they can help lease with the departments if students need help, they are still not helpful as for example you have right to only two therapy sessions and sometimes I found that they do not respond to emails quickly and during my undergrad that I did at Essex as well I had one therapy session from the university at the campus and no one was there to receive me. Overall I think the university is very great, they have a great student community and for most topics they are ranked very high. I recommend attending an Open Day to check the campus and talk with students to see if Essex is for you.

As a mature student with children, studying at UCP has been both rewarding and practical. The course delivery, with lectures scheduled together over just two days, allowed me to also take a part-time job in the sector I am studying, gaining valuable experience meaning I could be ready to go in my new career upon graduation. I have met like minded students with children who offer incredible peer support and the extensive online resources that are available made it easy to study from home at any time, around my family commitments. The flexibility of support from my lecturers both in person and virtually meant I could receive feedback and assistance with assignments without always having to be on site. These approaches enabled me to balance my studies, work, and family life effectively, enabling me to gain a degree as a working parent, which initially I thought would not be possible