English at University

What’s the difference between studying at school and at University? The main difference is the level of independence – and of responsibility. You’re usually studying just one or two subjects in detail – and although there will be some classes like the ones you’re used to from school, you’ll probably have to do a lot of work on your own.

It can also be a lot more work than school (or a lot less!). At Cambridge University, for example, students are asked to write an essay every week
– which might mean reading 6 of Shakespeare’s plays and a couple of books about history, for example. You end up spending most of your time
reading… so don’t choose to study English if you don’t enjoy reading.

One of the big differences you’ll notice is that you get much more say over what books you study. At most universities, you have the choice to do a long essay of your own research

Find out much, much more about studying at University at
Uni4Me
and OneLife.

There are hundreds of English courses at Universities across the country. It’s not just English that you can study, as well – for example, Cambridge and Manchester Universities both offer the opportunity to learn a modern langauge on the side, while at UEA (the University of East Anglia) you can study film as much as literature.

To find out more about exactly what you might study at University, you’ll need to take a look at some of the University Prospectuses (which are also available online). They’ll describe in detail exactly what you would study and how. To find out just how many English courses you can study, take a look at the
UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) website

Here are just a few of the country’s top English Departments to get you started.

Cambridge University

Anglia Polytechnic University

Manchester University

University of East Anglia

Sussex University