Due to it's small size and the fact that it is a new University the SU could have more societies and social events. Also, there is not a wide variety of food/café options across campus. Especially not affordable ones. The small size of the uni is also a plus in that you feel like a person and not a number. The small campus feels very tightknit and connected to the town in which it is based. The uni is also growing meaning that new buildings are in development. One of these, The Hold, is a very good space with lecture theatre, seminar rooms and is a joint venture with the local council meaning that there is a good link between the uni and the outer non-uni world. You do not feel isolated and it is clear to see the positive impact the university is having on its town.

The course offers a range of new theories that progress really nicely from the theories and concepts you encounter as an undergraduate. There is a strong relationship to using the skills the MA will give you in the real employable world. For example, the course runs Talking Shop events which invite members of industry (authors, agents, publishers etc.) to give talks and workshops. This builds a sense of community and offers good opportunity for networking. The variety of modules and the flexibility of choice is another great thing about this course and was one of my main deciders when choosing where to study at postgraduate level. My favourite module was the Children's Literature module because it introduced me to a world of literary theory that I had not previously thought of. The combination of creative and critical is not just in the course title but runs throughout the course with the modules offering a good balance between critical theory and creative writing opportunities. In particular, I really enjoyed and thrived on the approach of blending my assigned between the two. It was a whole new way of writing, offering pieces of creative prose then immediate critical attention to those pieces which opened up a dialogue between the two I do not feel would have been achievable in the more traditional critical writing style. I found the the in lecture time to be both intense and informative. I particularly enjoyed the 3 hour seminars on the compulsory module (creative and critical writing) as it offered a good amount of time to discuss and debate the ideas raised in the readings, especially heavy topics with dense writing that can be hard to understand on your own. The course is also flexible in that you can follow one project through all the modules or you can try out new ideas in each. I went for the latter and found this really interesting as I did not at the time have a solid idea on where I wanted my focus to be. With the skills, theories and writing experience I gained on this course I now know what I would like to study at PhD level and I would not have had that without my experiences on this course. The academic staff are knowledgeable and approachable. All of the team are very accepting of everyone and push you to test yourself and experiment in a way that seems out of place in the traditional stereotype of academia. They are wonderfully kind and supportive centring you and your ideas and I feel very lucky to have been taught by them. The only negative I can give on the course is there is a lot of content and would recommend doing the course part time (which I did not).

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Very supportive and enthusiastic staff Very modern, clean and professional facilities Great support system for disabled students

Staff are super supportive and encouraging Classes are well planned and engaging Students are encouraged to work together inside and outside of classes

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