This is a guest blog post by current student Amy James, studying BA (Hons) English.

Studying BA (Hons) English at Bournemouth University is a wonderful opportunity for anyone interested in the subject. Whether you have your heart set on studying a particular area of the subject or want to find out all the options available, this course will give you the chance to do it. Offering units on subjects as diverse as journalism, creative writing, literature, media and linguistics, you are given a chance to explore English in unique depth and breadth. In terms of assessment too, English at Bournemouth is unlike a traditional course in the best way – there is something for everyone. From essays to presentations, to writing stories and designing book covers, this course ensures there is opportunity for success wherever your strengths lie, and you are given the chance to work both individually and in groups. The format is wide ranging too. Lectures, lively debates in seminars, workshops to learn new skills and incredibly helpful one to one tutorials with your lecturers are all used to give you the best chance to learn.

Honestly? The English degree at Bournemouth University wasn’t quite what I expected when I joined up. But it is all the better for it. Other courses often focus on the classics and a narrow range of what they see as the correct things to study. This is a degree which gives you chances to learn about what you are passionate about, and in doing so challenges your ideas of what the limits of the subject are. Studying everything from Frankenstein, to Mathilda, to comic books, this degree is all about looking at a wide range of works and developing new and exciting ideas. It challenges you to think for yourself. Not only is it more interesting than a traditional English degree, but it opens you up to a far wider range of careers too.

One of the best things about this course is how passionate and knowledgeable each of the lecturers are in their subjects. Being practicing professionals outside of the university gives them real life experience which is invaluable in a lecturer, and their understanding of the course is matched by their enthusiasm and willingness to help. Plus, the range of resources available to you on the course are huge, whether or not you are on campus. The library’s enormous range of books and e-books on every subject doesn’t hurt either, and is particularly useful for this course!

Of course, the course and resources aren’t the only good thing about Bournemouth University. There are also a large range of clubs and societies which you can join. Having been part of the Performing Arts Society since I came to Bournemouth, I would say they are an amazing thing to do, as well as a great way to meet new people. Karaoke nights, going out together, putting on performances and having screenings of films are just some of the things we do, as well as fundraising for charity and volunteering in the community. There is a society for whatever you’re interested in, from sports societies, to a cocktail society, cards game clubs and everything in between. Not to mention the wonderful choirs and bands that the music department runs.

So if you want to study a degree that is fun, engaging and works with you to help you learn about what you are interested in, come to Bournemouth!