Hitting the ground running …

Returning to Bristol for second year brings with it a variety of emotions. It is somehow as daunting as arriving for the first time exactly a year ago! Knowing that this is the year where all your work counts towards the overall degree brings an unexpected pressure. However the thrill of moving into a new house with a strong group of friends makes it as exciting as it is intimidating not to mention the prospect of being back in the fabulous city that is Bristol.

With second year comes the much-anticipated ‘special subjects’ which we are able to select ourselves, modules based around tutors specialisms that allows English students more freedom and choice over what they study. This is one of the things I’ve enjoyed the most about second year so far, the chance to really unravel and hone in on one area of literature – for me modern American literature from 1945-now – is really stimulating and makes a hefty reading list much more pleasurable!

Following a pretty full on summer, including a month spent performing at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the return to Bristol was very much hit-the-ground-running, already the term has included tackling a new language (regardless of what tutors say, I still contest the use of the word ‘English’ in ‘Middle English’!), four student theatre productions, two essays, five visiting lecturers and one slightly damp student house becoming my new home! It’s certainly been full on, but Bristol wouldn’t be Bristol if it wasn’t insanely hectic, totally jam-packed with fun extras and wonderfully busy. It’s just fitting it all in that’s the trouble!

– Harriet