Greetings from Bournemouth University! My name is Jaime and I am from Colorado, USA. I am on a unique programme here at BU – MLit (Hons) English – which includes both an undergrad and postgrad degree in one course.

MLit includes:

• Three years of an undergrad course – BA (hons) English
• A required 4-week or optional 30-week placement (usually between years 2 and 3)
• MA Lit postgrad degree (year 4 or 5 depending on placement, but at the undergrad price.

For the initial three years, my programme is more or less the same as any other English student; however, with the Masters, that means I will be leaving BU with an undergrad, postgrad, placement and other work experience and a plethora of field networking and contacts!

The English department is amazing and there are a variety of opportunities on campus for students on these programmes. BU is unique in that it has its own publishing house, called Fresher Publishing, which provides publishing avenues through writing contests and opportunities. Nerve Media is BU’s student led media outlet and all students are welcome to contribute. The magazine and news are quite popular with English students.

Our classes are structured in a way that is unique compared to many universities. They focus on themes and skills that are applicable to all the courses simultaneously. For example, research I completed in my Adaptation course was useful for my Media & Society essay. Concepts taught through Media & Society have been essential in my Language Matters course. Topics in Language Matters have been essential for my work on my Forms & Context essay. In this way, I think of my classes not as individual sections of education, but as pieces connected to the larger academic picture. They all fit together to create a vivid and skill-building whole.

Very exciting this year was the opportunity to attend the London Book fair at no cost! BU has never done this before, and I am thrilled to be one of the first students to participate in such an amazing opportunity. Attending this fair not only introduces me to the larger world of media (and my focus on writing) but also provides a basis for future placement opportunities and professional networking.

Above all else, the faculty of my programme are both dedicated and inspiring. They work hard to convey their knowledge and skills and expect the same dedication from us to absorb it.