Who are you and where are you from?
Hi, I am Louise Lazell, I'm from Essex, and I'm a third year English Literature student at UEA.
Why did you choose to study at UEA?
When I came to the Open Day, the buzz of students and atmosphere on campus really reflected how genuinely happy everyone at UEA is – something I have continued to feel throughout my three years. More than anything, the course just shone out against every other university I’d looked at. I was so impressed by the course’s versatility and range of choice; it felt like I could make my degree my own. Having that freedom to explore and experience subjects or authors or genres really excited me.
What's the best thing about your course?
What's made my degree so special are the people who taught me. Throughout my three years, I have had some truly inspirational lecturers who have put so much time into building a relationship with me so that I could do the best I could possibly do. Even some of my seminar leaders who have only taught me once still stop me in the corridors to ask how I am and offer help. I have honestly been amazed by their approachability and their care to give me the best teaching experience possible. For me, my teachers made my degree.
What's been your favourite module?
I can't choose one! I have several favourite modules over the three years but I think there are a few I hold especially close to my heart. In the first year, I took 'Reading Texts 2', which is all about close reading and getting to the crux of a text. I had an absolutely phenomenal tutor Tommy Karshan, who taught me to read and appreciate texts in a way I never had before. Studying Proust and Seven Types of Ambiguity, which were two texts I’d never read and had certainly never imagined I would, totally transformed my thinking.
This year I loved studying 'Madness and Medicine in the Regency' with Kate Drayton, who is so passionate about her module that I couldn’t help being sucked into the excitement she shared with us. I loved studying amazing female authors like Austen and putting them into context in terms of history, politics and psychology. Writing my essay for that module felt like everything was coming together, I was using everything my degree had taught me to create something that I feel really proud of.
What's the extra-curricular activity you've enjoyed the most?
I think the best extra-curricular activity I’ve done was my internship for UEA’s Working with Words event which is an annual conference celebrating and advertising creative careers. It was an amazing event to work on because I had the opportunity to meet some incredible people that are working as authors, publishers, film writers and more.
Doing my internship alongside my Journalism Masters applications was really helpful, it gave me a stunning portfolio of evidence where I created a blog and discovered completely new ways of writing. Having weekly interviews with guest speakers gave me great interview practice and allowed me to meet some hugely inspirational people who gave me advice which I will carry with me through my career. My internship taught me the power of networking in creative careers and showed me what it would be like in an actual work environment. My internships at UEA have been the best grounding for my future – it’s shown me that's what I want to do.
What's the best thing about UEA's campus?
There's always so much going on in Norwich. I think it’s important to remember that Norwich is a UNESCO City of Literature because it means that there’s always loads going on, like theatre shows, productions, gigs, festivals and so much more. It really gives the city a sense of vibrancy and life. It’s great to know there are so many opportunities to get involved in too. I may be biased but I think Norwich is the best place to be for English Lit students.
What do you want to do in the future?
I am super excited to say that I have had an offer from Cardiff to study News Journalism. I’ve wanted to be a journalist since I was 15 and I’ve always seen English Literature as a solid grounding for my future career. English has taught me to read, write, think, and understand social and political issues – things that are the fundamentals of entering a career in journalism. I have absolutely no doubt that my degree has prepared me for my MA and I cannot wait to begin!