[insert blog post reminding people you're still here]

Hello!

I know this post is long overdue – I’m sorry, University seems to take on a completely different pace of life to being at home. Even though I spend less time actually being taught I feel busier than ever. It’s so different from school, definitely in a good way, as it starts to feel more like your time is your own.  It just so happens that the past week has had me rushed off my feet – in the best way possible.

A good friend asked whether I could blog a little bit about the degree I’m doing, so if literature isn’t really your thing, you might switch off a little for this bit. Sorry. I’m doing an English and American literature degree – its single honours and consists of 4 modules, two are compulsory and two I picked. The first module (compulsory) is Romanticism and Critical Theory which I rather love – Romanticism is fascinating – of course you get the Byron, Coleridge, Blake, Wordsworth and Keats, but I also study lesser known Romantic figures and ideas – post colonialism, the idea of the ‘Orient’ and the ‘Other’. The critical theory is probably the hardest to get to grips with, mostly because the reading material is so dense but interesting to a literature nerd nonetheless. My second module (also compulsory) is Critical Practice. It basically does what it says on the tin and teaches you how to ‘close read’ texts – the reading for it is very diverse, from Beowulf to Marvell.

So if you’ve fallen asleep thus far, sorry, 2 modules left. Now, these two I picked. I was given the choice of doing a ‘wild module’ in a different subject, but decided to stick with modules the English school provided for the first year. The first module is ‘Readings in the 20^th Century’ which I think provides the most interesting seminars and is my favourite. At the moment I’m studying modernism, but one of the highlights of the modules is exploring literature of different cultures – T.S Eliot and Virginia Woolf, Kafka and the diaries of Gauguin. The literature is then studied alongside art and film – I’ve watched King Kong (the original), Ridley Scott’s Alien and a fantastic little Soviet film by Vertov called ‘The Man with the Movie Camera’. The module really shows how literature can play into everything and the fact all arts interweave. The second module is ‘Early Drama’ – basically everything that came before Shakespeare. The first recorded theatre in England.  My favourite part about this is overlap into theatre and the strong historical content.

The amount of reading for English is of course a lot. You’d be stupid to enter into an English course, albeit any degree, and not expect to read. The work does feel like a step up from school, but definitely in a good way – it’s a challenge.

OK, I’m sorry for boring you all, but I’d just like to draw your attention to two things. ONE. I know I mentioned this already, but my lovely friend Sarah is also doing a blog about her gap year. 6 months of which she is spending in Disney land and then she is off on all sorts of adventures! So go and read it. And leave her lovely comments. TWO. My friend from Uni, Mr ICOEPRproductions (Sammy) is very close to hitting 2,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel – so what are you waiting for? SUBSCRIBEl Links to both of them are over there, to your right.

That’s me signing off for the mo – I’m actually off back home next Thursday, so I have no excuse not to blog next week. Once again, as always, thank you for reading. xx

I build a home.

The news of the weekend has done a lot to knock me off track this week. I realise this isn’t a normal occurrence for every Uni student’s life, but I wanted this to be truthful account and sadly things like this do happen. What has spurred me on though is this. Before writing I checked the stats for this blog. Not only are there people reading, but quite a few of you too! Smile = very firmly on my face.

Well, I’m nearly half way through my second week and a massive factor in University life, in case you hadn’t already guessed, is independence. A bucket load of it. Everything is completely down to you – from making sure you feed yourself properly, to doing laundry, getting to lectures on time and even managing your money. Of course ‘work hard, play hard’ is the cliché I could drop in here, but I think the experience you have depends heavily on what you, and only you input into the huge life style change. If you sit in your room and lock yourself away, then you probably will feel homesick and isolated. It’s amazing what just propping your door open can do.

 Making a home for yourself is so important – it puts you ease straight away and allows you get on with the important stuff.. People say one of the things they worry about the most in University is making friends and getting on with the people they live with. All I can say is, from my experience, if you are yourself (and that’s very important), throw yourself in and meet as many people as possible, even after Fresher’s Week, it’ll make those little anxieties that bit easier.

As for the degree programme, in my case English and American Literature, I couldn’t ask for more. Sitting around and discussing books, poetry and criticism with like minded people feels like a bit of fun rather than studying. Picking a degree that you know you hold interest in is so important.

Sorry if this feels a bit generic – I think it is – this medium takes my mind off the obvious. It’s a pleasure to be able to write this – if I could hug every reader individually I would (I wouldn’t at the moment though; I think Fresher’s Flu Point Two is on the way). They say time is a great healer – I couldn’t think of a better place to play that time out than where I’m at now. Thank you to all (especially Uni peeps) who have made the past few days a little easier – you’ve helped more than you could possibly imagine.

Once again, thank you for reading xxx

In memory

I made this blog as a means to recount my time at University– truthfully and honestly. I feel it appropriate to therefore leave the memory and essence of someone I love here.

Yesterday I received the news that, after a battle with cancer, my Grandad passed away peacefully in his sleep. Dealing with something like this at University has its pros and cons – pro definitely being that everyone is so supportive, lovely and willing to lend a friendly ear – I’ve only known the people I live and study with for 2 weeks and they have only made this time easier. Con, obviously, is the want to be with family, to leave the University ‘bubble’ just for it a bit to take a breath.

I didn’t see Grandad before I went to University, but he knew I was going and he knew I was going to study something I love. I think the best way I can honour his memory is to make sure these next 3 years are some of the best times of my life. I hope you come along for the journey.

Thank you for reading.

Keith Edward Wright – died 30^th September 2011. Rest In Peace