Hey everyone!

I am back with another blog post and I think it’s about time I talk a little bit about the course I have been taking for the past two years. So, I study English Literature with Creative Writing (BA) and I do realise there’s a lot of mysticism and uncertainty about what this means so let me try to break it down to you.

What is the course structure like? (Compulsory Modules)

The structure of the course varies a bit depending on which year you are on and whether you are signed up for just English Lit or with Creative Writing. What doesn’t change though is that you is that you can take about four modules for semester and this will add to 60 credits.

You can check out the full structure of the course here, but I will give an overview of the main compulsory modules you will have in years 1 and 2 and my own experience. (I’ve put my comments in brackets, so check them out)

Year 1

Sigmund Freud

Theories of Reading I and II: you will learn about all the different ways of analysing a text through theoretic perspectives such as Marxism, Feminism, Structuralism and Psychoanalysis. (can be a pain sometimes, but very useful for year 2 modules. Be prepared to read Marx, Freud, Butler and Saussure)

History of English Literature I and II: you will explore the development of literary texts throughout many periods, ranging from medieval literature until the 21st century. (if you’re a history nerd, this is the right module for you)

Introduction to Creative Writing: this module is compulsory for Creative Writing students and optional for just English Lit. You will learn about different types of poetry, narrative styles and short stories. You will get a chance to workshop your piece throughout the semester and get feedback from staff and your peers. (it was a very productive module as the seminar leader suggested I do a 30 day poetry challenge which resulted in many tankas/haikus)

Thinking like a Writer: this module is compulsory for Creative Writing students and optional for just English Lit. You will learn about writing play scripts and movie screenplays, how to avoid or subvert cliches, what narrative theory includes and what famous writers advise when writing. (was quite a fun module as all Creative Writing ones are. I especially enjoyed learning about scripts/screenplays)

Year 2

Contemporary Literature: Postcolonial Fictions: you will explore diverse texts written in English but set in countries like Nigeria, South Africa and US. You will also learn crucial theories like Afropolitanism, decoloniality, double consciousness and self orientalism. (an amazing module that decolonises the curriculum and allows marginalised voices to be heard. Also includes masterpieces like Black Panther and Americanah)

Contemporary Literature: Gender and Sexuality: you will explore different texts which represent gender and sexuality issues and learn how to analyse them using theories like Compulsory Heterosexuality, Gender Performativity, the Charmed Circle, Queer studies and Transgender studies. (an enjoyable and thought provoking module that includes inspiring texts like Brokeback Mountain and Fun Home)

Elements of Narrative: this module is compulsory for Creative Writing students and optional for just English Lit. You will learn about different aspects of writing a story, such as establishing character, point of view, handling time and setting the scene. (after learning about different modes of writing, it was useful to look at structuring a story and how to make the little things work in your favour)

Contemporary Storytelling: this module is compulsory for Creative Writing students and optional for just English Lit. You will explore texts written in the 20th/21st century and learn about narrative poetry, speculative fiction, horror, and how to write ‘the other’. (has been amazing so far and inspired me to write outside of my comfort zone)

Year 3

All the modules will be optional. Here are some examples of what you might be studying:

Children’s Literature, Writing Animation, Screenwriting, Writing Gaming, From Novel to Film and Approaches to Film Genre.

How are students assessed on this course at Surrey?

There can be many types of assessments, but one advantage of doing English lit is that exams are rare because there are much better options for students to be tested.

For most of my English Literature modules, assessments will include one final essay, which can be between 1500 and 2500 words, due in the last week of term so either January or late May/early June. Creative Writing assessments are quite free as you can write whatever you want, but you must do a critical analysis explaining what you did.

Sometimes there are earlier assessments which tend to be shorter, like 500 words close reading exercises or essay plans. For two of my modules I have also had to prepare presentations and if you’re taking TEFL in year 2 you will be asked to prepare a lesson plan then perform a teaching practice.

What are the optional modules offered?

Year 1

Understanding Stage and Screen/Poetry/the Novel: you will be taking one of more of these modules which explore how plays are adapted into movies, the different types of poetry or how a novel is written. (I did stage and screen, was cool to explore differences between scripts and screenplays)

Shakespeare: you will explore different texts written by Shakespeare and how they represent themes like love, gender and social class or connect to the historical context. (made for Shakespeare lovers mostly, but it’s good fun)

Year 2

Modernism: you will learn about all the stylistic and thematic changes that occurred in the first half of the 20th century and explore some difficult yet intriguing texts. (was quite an exciting module and I enjoyed learning about the effects of war in literature)

Transmedia Narratives: a brand new module that explores stories which are told through multiple mediums like Harry Potter, Star Wars and the Marvel Universe. You will learn about theories regarding what is transmedia and the different types such as tv, social media, gaming and spaces. (honestly the best module this university has ever created. Always exciting and I got to write an essay about my favourite anime for the first assignment)

Introduction to TEFL: you will learn the basic principles of teaching English as a foreign language, such as teaching the 4 main skills, how to use the PPP model and classroom management. You will be required to write a lesson plan and deliver a teaching practice for the assessments. (this was a challenging module, but I learned so much and had fun preparing the teaching practice)

Translation: if you have good command of another language like French, Spanish or German, you can choose to join Language students in learning about translation.

Other fun options: French Cinema after WWII, Science Fiction, Victorian Literature and Culture, Writing the Victorians: Neo-Victorians in Contemporary Culture.

How is the study/life balance for an English Lit student?

Unlike other courses, there are few contact hours for students taking the English Literature/+Creative Writing course. Here is an example of my timetable from this year:

As you can see, lessons are divided into lectures and seminars. Lectures are usually one hour long, take place once a week and are meant to give you the main information about the texts and theories. Seminars vary between 1-2 hours, also take place once a week and are more interactive since students discuss what they learned and apply their knowledge through close reading and other exercises.

Since you will be taking up to 4 modules per semester, this will add up to 8-10 contact hours per week. Do not be naive to believe this doesn’t mean there is work to be done, though. Students are expected to dedicate plenty of hours to independent study which might include reading the texts, doing research or other course-related activities.

However, the advantage of not having many fixed study hours means that you will have time to socialise, join societies, attend events or take a part-time job. For instance, I mostly study in the evenings as I prefer to read before bed, allowing me to have an active social life.

If you want to have an idea of what a week in the life of an English Lit/+Creative Writing student is like, look here.

What are the career options for an English Lit student?

I think one of the main reasons why people are hesitant to choose to this course is because they believe that career paths are limited to teaching which is completely untrue. In fact, English Lit students can work with so many different things that it can become a struggle to choose from.

The skills we acquire on this course make us suitable for corporate jobs like marketing, advertising, communications, PR and HR. There’s also journalism, publishing and proofreading. Then there are those who go into teaching which can apply to becoming Primary/Secondary/A Level teachers but also TEFL. Lastly, there is the option to become an academic researcher or creative writer.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a summary of what the course is like, but if you’d like to know more, you can check the University Website and explore all the modules in depth. I understand choosing yeh at you’ll study is a difficult decision, but I believe that learning all you can is the first step towards making an informative choice.

Personally, I wouldn’t have chosen any other course because I just enjoy my student life so much. Lessons and seminars are always interesting and if you happen to miss one for whatever reason, this doesn’t significantly affect your final grade. I get to complete my studies alongside work, volunteering and socialisation without feeling overwhelmed like people taking other courses such as Business, Biology, Law, etc often do.

English Lit with Creative Writing is a course that respects your mental health and acknowledges that you can’t necessarily give your all every single week. You always have chances to talk to tutors outside of lessons and discuss your assessment plans.

Stay tuned for the next blog when I will be taking about the Student’s Union and Surrey Decides.