“Imagination is…the power that enables us to empathize with humans whose experiences we have never shared.” – J.K. Rowling

 

Tilly Martin

I have always enjoyed English literature and love reading. This course is great in that it doesn’t assess you using exams, meaning that you can spend more time writing about the books you read to a better quality through coursework. The best thing about YSJ is the fact that it’s such a small community. It makes you feel at home really quickly. I am a joint honours English Literature and Education Studies student. I sometimes wish I got the opportunity to read some of the books on the modules I decided against taking but I do enjoy the mix of subjects I get to learn about by doing joint honours. In terms of modules I am really enjoying the Romantic Period Writing module I am taking at the moment. The content is challenging but very interesting and the assessment is very well-suited to me. We recently submitted an essay that was entirely close reading – I like this because I feel that it allows me to focus on the exploration of the text a little more. My favourite book was, Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson in the Semester 1 of first year. It was a semi-autobiographical novel that was set in York which helped me grasp the geography of the place as well as add some historical context to it.  Through participating in Literature at Work, I have enjoyed creating some original material as in English Literature my work often focuses on the more analytical side of things.

 

Elisha Wise

I’ve been a reader most of my life. Mostly, I read books because I enjoy them, but, in recent times I’ve realised that books can serve other purposes. They uncover the past and help us to be better in the future. They paint portraits of individual humans with unique experiences. They provide us with understanding that would otherwise be inaccessible. And that’s why I chose to study English Literature – not only because I love reading books, but because I love unlocking the deeper meanings of books. Of all the universities I considered, I felt that York St John gave me the best opportunity to do precisely that. The course here is so diverse and wide-reaching. We study lesser-known authors who deal with prevalent social issues alongside some of the staple texts from the literary canon. Among my favourite books that I’ve studied so far are John Steinbeck’s masterful The Grapes of Wrath and Jackie Kay’s Trumpet, which tells the posthumous story of a black transgender man. Superficially, these books have little in common, yet they both featured on the same module. That’s precisely what I love about YSJ: we engage with all forms of literature and, in doing so, become better equipped to face the world. The Literature at Work module exemplifies this. I’ve gained vital skills and my confidence has improved enormously, but, best of all, I’ve had chance to share my love of literature with like-minded people. This module – and this university in general – has definitely inspired me, and I’m sure they’ll continue to inspire many more.

 

Eleanor Squires

From a young age I’ve been an avid reader and so naturally English Literature has always been the subject that I can relate to most and have enjoyed. I think it’s essential to study something you like and have a good time doing it. Also, when I started university I didn’t have a specific career in mind, so a degree that is more open-ended and provides a lot of different career paths was ideal. I think the best thing about studying Lit at YSJ are the modes of assignment. Exams aren’t for everyone, and the fact that there aren’t any means you can spend more time on a text and go more in depth without worrying about a strict time constraint. My favourite module so far has been Conflicting Words. Although it has been particularly challenging keeping on top of the reading for this module (and dealing with a 9am every Monday morning!), the texts have been diverse and all really thought-provoking. Literature about war/conflict is not a genre I would’ve usually thought about but through this module I’ve found that I do enjoy these types of texts, and learning about the context these texts are set against is especially interesting for me. A favourite book that I’ve studied throughout university would be Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca; aside from thinking about this novel in a critical way, I just generally love the storyline and the way it’s written. In doing the Literature at Work module, I think I’ve really benefitted from guest speakers that talk about different careers. I’ve also enjoyed the process of putting together this pamphlet/website as it’s something separate from my other modules and enables me to use a different skill set.

 

Joseph Wright

I’m a second-year joint honours English Literature and Creative Writing student at York St John University. The reason I chose this joint course was simply due to my love of reading and writing. I have always enjoyed the process of devising, writing and constructing my own creative work and can’t remember a time I didn’t love books. Therefore, it only seemed like the natural step for me to go onto study English Literature and Creative Writing in higher education. York was always a city I wanted to live in, so when I discovered the hidden gem that was York St John, I was ecstatic. The university was everything I was searching for, a small campus located in the heart of York and a course that was assessed through course work exclusively. Out of all the fantastic modules so far, Cultures of Childhood is the one I have enjoyed the most. The module was a throwback to my childhood, featuring texts such as Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan and The Secret Garden. In this module, we as a class, found the deeper meanings behind the studied texts and explored the concept of childhood as a social and cultural construction. This booklet and accompanying website was a product of the Literature at Work module. Through this module, I have learnt how literature impacts the working world and its practical implications. This course has given me the opportunity to develop my teamwork skills and to gain experience in editing, marketing, publishing and reviewing – something I may not have obtained had I chosen another module or university.

 

Rebecca Formstone

I have always loved books and found a comfort in reading, so I chose to study English Literature based on that, along with the fact that it has been one of my favourite subjects throughout school. The best thing about studying at YSJ is the variety of modules and opportunities that are offered. I think that it has the best range of destinations for the Study Abroad programme, and there are a number of film screenings and literature festivals throughout the year. My favourite module is one that I’m currently studying, which is Gothic and Horror. It also includes one of the books I have enjoyed most so far – Daphne De Maurier’s Rebecca.

 

 

 

Sophie Richardson

I chose YSJ because it is not too far away from home, it is located in a lovely area in the city of York and it has very good results for its students. I started enjoying English Literature in Year 10 of school – it was one of my favourite subjects, and therefore I worked hard at it. I carried it on to my A-Levels, which I enjoyed even more. I chose to do it at university level as I believed it would be a helpful and challenging degree which would allow me to progress into a successful job since it gives me plenty of skills that are used in the workplace. I am a single honours English Literature student, which means that even though I only do one subject, I still have a large range of modules and texts available to me. My favourite modules so far have been ‘Gender and Writing’ and ‘Conflicting Words’. I have enjoyed these because they have provided excellent texts, including both poetry and prose. Gender and Writing gave me the chance to look into how men, women and transgendered people are presented in texts. Conflicting Words has allowed me to look at how people’s experiences of various wars differ and how they present that experience through writing poetry and novels. My favourite books have been Room, Company K, Push and Falling Man. Doing the Literature at Work module has helped me to realise how many careers an English Literature student can go into. It has shown me the struggles that people can experience through the workplace, but also how these can be overcome.

 

Steven Atherton

During A level I thoroughly enjoyed exploring ideas through texts that I would have never come across if it wasn’t for the subject. I wanted to take this nature of study further, therefore I chose English Literature at York St. John in 2015. St. John’s diverse module topics and endless library resources make studying Literature a challenge and a pleasure. Reading topics such as 18^th Century Writing and the Romantic Period have both been the highlights of my academic career so far. The historical aspect of these modules, as well as the impact these writers had on English Literature as we know it today is both profound and deeply interesting. However the course is not limited to writers of the past as there is an array of modules that deal with contemporary writing and issues. Modules such as Literature at Work, the module that I’m currently studying, develops employability skills, career paths as well as developing skills such as CV writing and teamwork.

 

Phoebe Gurd

I am a single honours English Literature student at York St John University and I have been studying here since 2015. I chose to undertake a degree in English Literature as I have always been passionate about the subject and I have always enjoyed reading. I chose to study in York because I have always wanted to live in the North. Coming from a small town on the coast of the west country, I knew that I would prefer to live in a small city. As soon as I stepped off the train in the picturesque York, I knew it was going to be the best place for me to study my degree. Whilst searching for Universities, I came across York St John and instantly fell in love with the cosy campus. I also loved the fact that the course assesses you solely through coursework as I have always struggled with the pressure surrounding exams. My favourite module on the course has been Cultures of Childhood. I enjoyed this module as it felt like a trip down memory lane, and involved analysing my favourite childhood books in depth and was extremely interesting. I particularly enjoyed studying Peter Pan and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. This booklet was a product of the Literature at Work module. In this module, I have obtained skills in editing and publishing, something which I am interested in pursuing further after completing my degree.

 

Rachel Hancock

I’ve always loved reading from a young age and knew that English Literature was something I wished to pursue at university. For me, York St John was the best option because I thought the course offered a broad exploration of various texts and authors. On the open day, I loved the strong sense of community and friendliness of the staff and students here. I’m a single honours student and my favourite module this year has been the Literature at Work module. There have been many interesting guest speakers and the project allows you to build confidence whilst working in a team. My favourite book would have to be Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. I read it before coming to university and fortunately we studied it during the Gothic and Horror module.

 

Philip Price

I am currently a second year undergraduate studying English Literature at YSJ. I chose YSJ as I was born and raised in the small city of Norwich. Visiting other universities such as Manchester made me realise how important comfort in your home away from home really was. Alongside living in a beautiful city I have found myself on a challenging yet engaging course. My favourite book is The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald so being offered multiple modules which focus on American Literature was brilliant. Outside of class I am a member of the YSJ Jaguars (American Football team). With hundreds of activities I couldn’t have asked for a more welcoming and comforting University and city.