A day in the life of an English Literature student

As an English Literature student at De Montfort University, I spend two days a week on campus for in person teaching. I am in my third year and things are pretty hectic to say the least. When I am not typing away at my dissertation, I am deep in research about vampire lore over the centuries. So it’s pretty colourful to say the least! As a commuter, the current floods affecting the Leicestershire area have meant I did not go back the week I anticipated. But here’s what happens on a typical day in the life of an English Literature student. First and foremost, De Montfort University time tables under block teaching. This means I am normally only doing one module at a time. There are many benefits to this style of teaching for English Literature students. It gives me the ability to work ⅘ days of the week alongside my degree. As an English Literature student this has been great because it means that I can get all my pre-reading and notes done over the summer. There are also downsides, like it sometimes can feel a bit rushed. Nonetheless, at the moment with my dissertation due in April, I am working on two things at a time.

The morning of an English Literature Student

As an early morning person, I like to be in uni with plenty of time to wake up, get a coffee and get prepared with any pre-reading I might need to catch up on. Walking around Leicester first thing in the morning can be an experience in itself but as a local, (and an English Literature student) I find a lot of beauty in it. I also take creative writing in another block, so sometimes I use this time to try to write something if it comes to me. Creatively I like my own work to feel natural, so on a commute it is the best time for me to be completing this work.

English literature block 2 & 3 modules

Classes have been starting at 11am this term, as I am currently in my Text and Technologies block. At the moment we are using XML to study the way texts are processed by computers. I think this is the hardest block I have ever done, as computing is not something that has come naturally to me. But I feel really pleased with my progress. One thing this block has come with that other Literature blocks have not, is lots of pre-reading and homework. This has been hard to keep on top of, as it is not something I have been used to before. So I try to prioritise doing this the night before, or in the morning to keep it fresh in my head for the in class tests.

Productivity in the day

I have a two hour break in between, and as I cannot go home I like to use it to be productive. Whilst I am still in flow state, I like to sit in the library or business building and work through my dissertation. As someone who does not live on campus I like to make full use of all the resources available to me. The Kimberlin Library has a plethora of English Literature resources, from criticisms to text technologies. It is also easy to find what you’re looking for. I also find it easier to read resources by printing off my work to proof-read at home away from a screen.

Mindfulness thoughout the Day

If the morning has been particularly trying for whatever reason, I sometimes like to use this time to just have a mindful walk around Castle Gardens or into town to have some distance from my learning space. Of course as an English student I should always have a book I am currently reading, but this will depend on the tote bag I take in the morning. Afternoon classes start at 3, which feels trying in January as we are often leaving when it is dark. But we persevere! I have begun to enjoy the computing module and now I can understand it. Once I am done with English classes for the day, I am not the type to go back to the library and be there all night. Work smarter, not harder. Unless my friend and I are going out that night and we might squeeze a joint study session in for three hours. Our reward being an evening at Helsinki for our hard work!

Commuting

 

On an average day, I will commute home. As an English Literature student of course I am romanticising my commute home, reading into everything to find a deeper meaning in the mundane. I’ll do this whilst listening to a Podcast. A few I have been enjoying are Voicenotes with Jordan Teresa and Girl Historians. Unless I have work to do for the next day, or there is a deadline due, I will normally turn off for the day. From my own experience, I have found I work best when I have time to process what I am working on. So a late night studying is a no from me. I hope that this sheds a light on a typical day for a literature student for anyone interested in studying! If you want to know more about my experience at De Montfort University or Leicester, access more articles here.