How engaging with my course gave me the most rewarding experience

Having been educated across four continents, the travel bug took hold and led to travelling extensively in my twenties. This wanderlust had to be satisfied before focusing on a career or further education. After various roles in management and business organisation, I felt unfulfilled in my professional career and started to think about the future and where I wanted to be. My editorial skills at work were consistently picked up on as strengths, and English had always been my favourite subject at school. A conscientious reader and writer from a young age, I won the prize for best novella in high school along with various smaller writing awards. During my travels, I kept the enthusiasm for writing alive by keeping travel journals, and part of me always regretted not pursuing English at University. 

I began to peruse the Leeds Beckett online prospectus, having connections to the city and family who are alumni of the University. I liked the look of the English with Creative Writing course as it combined my two interests. I was confident that the critical literature side of the course would provide me with transferable skills that would be highly desirable to employers, while the creative writing component would allow me to indulge my creative aspirations. Despite having reservations about returning to education after such a long time, my life experience and maturity gave me the confidence to apply. I arranged to meet with a Humanities department tutor to discuss my concerns about engaging with an undergraduate degree as a mature student. I’m incredibly thankful that I was proactive enough to take this step because her openness and honesty encouraged me to finally apply.

My favourite thing about my time at Leeds Beckett has repeatedly been seeing my efforts reciprocated by the faculty. While I was a little apprehensive during the first semester, I gained confidence and surprised myself with the feedback I received on my assignments. This positive reinforcement encouraged me to work even harder, and I found that the more I engaged with the course, the more I was rewarded. Tutors in the department put me forward for additional responsibilities, such as designing and delivering a mock seminar for first-year induction and giving incoming students a taster of a Contemporary Literature seminar. I was chosen to chair a student panel as part of the interview process for a new academic staff member and I was given the responsibility of being the critical editor for the faculty’s first open-access academic journal, the LBU Review.

My advice for prospective students would be to engage as fully as possible with the course, tutors and wider university, and take advantage of all the opportunities offered. I fully believe that what you put into your university experience is what you will get out of it, so be proactive. If you have any issues or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact your academic advisor because they’re there to help so take them up on it! I would also pre-empt that by suggesting that you check MyBeckett first because the information is usually on there.

I’m now looking forward to starting the MA Literature course at Leeds Beckett in September and, potentially, a PhD after that. My experience at this University has been invaluable and I look forward to re-entering the professional space armed with a new frame of mind and renewed confidence.