05 March 2020

My UEA Story: Dan

Dan

Who are you and where are you from?

Hi, I am Dan, I’m from Beverley in East Yorkshire, and I’m a Third Year English Literature student at UEA.

Why did you choose to study at UEA?

I chose to apply to UEA because I had heard about its fantastic reputation for teaching English Literature. I visited UEA on an applicant day, and that day's sample lecture was phenomenal, and proved to me just how engaging, fun and innovative UEA’s approach to teaching English Literature is.

Moreover, the applicant day gave me the invaluable opportunity to speak to current students and get the inside, unfiltered view of UEA's Literature Department. All I heard from the student I talked to was how much UEA had allowed them to grow both creatively and critically, as well as the amazing experiences they had over their time at UEA. Within hours of returning to Yorkshire, I had accepted UEA as my first choice on UCAS.

 What's the best thing about your course?

The best thing about studying English Literature at UEA is the freedom of choice which the course offers. Whether that's the number of modules which are available to take, to the multiple options of creative or critical or creative-critical summative assessments you can write, to the huge range of texts available to write about on each and every module, English Literature at UEA is very much a degree you can make your own. Whether you want to experience a broad range of themes, genres, and historical moments in literature, or you want to specialise from early on, this course offers the ability for you to mod it to whatever parameters are best for you.

What's been your favourite module?

I’d say that one of my favourite modules was 'The Contested Past: The Politics of Memory', a module I took in my third year. 'The Contested Past' allowed me to analyse how collective memories of historical events are constructed and how historical details can be censored. This led me to re-evaluate the way I approach literature as a historical artefact and to reassess the responsibility literature has towards accurately portraying history.

However, I would say that my favourite module overall was my dissertation. I wrote on how Roman ideals are explored within Shakespeare’s plays. Writing my dissertation was an incredible experience which allowed me to push my independent research and critical thinking skills to their limit, all the while studying a topic which I thoroughly enjoy researching and developing my academic writing significantly. I could not recommend the dissertation experience enough.

What's the extra-curricular activity you've enjoyed the most?

The most amazing extra-curricular activity I did at UEA was the ‘Where Literature Lives’ Do Something Different Week Film Project – I spent the week working with the feature film-maker Guy Myhill, shooting, editing and producing a 90 second film about my relationship with Literature at UEA. For my film, I wrote and read a poem, overlaying it with stills and film clips which I felt encapsulated the heart of what the literary experience at UEA is.

Through engaging with this film making project, I learnt a lot about my own relationship with literature, about how I had developed over the last three years at UEA. It was a truly unique experience which allowed me the invaluable opportunity to learn some brand-new skills, reflect on my time at UEA, and create something tangible which embodies my relationship to literature at UEA. You can see the film I made at the bottom of this page!

What's the best thing about UEA's campus?

UEA’s campus has a strong harmony-with-nature vibe! My favourite place on campus is the lake, where on a warm summer’s day I like to sit on one of the jetties with my headphones on and just write for a couple of hours. UEA’s campus inhabits that perfect blend between being very much part of Norwich, but also its own little rural paradise.

What do you want to do in the future?

Next year I am staying at UEA to take the MA in Medieval and Early Modern Textual cultures, a postgraduate course which allows me to pursue my interests in Shakespeare and writers from the same period.

 

 

School of Literature, Drama &
Creative Writing