Linguistics and Languages

Hi, I'm Becky, I'm a third year English Language and Linguistics student, and I'm going to talk a little bit about what I like about the course and give you some advice, if you're considering studying at Sussex.

[ON SCREEN TEXT] CHOOSING SUSSEX

I decided on Sussex after the Applicant Day.

And this is basically when you can come in, meet some of the tutors and some current students, and you can do a couple of activities that are related to some of the modules that you might be doing.

So you really get a good feel of what the course is about and you can ask any questions that you might have.

So I would definitely recommend coming along to an Applicant Day, especially if you're a bit torn between courses.

[ON SCREEN TEXT] FAVOURITE THINGS

I think there's two main things that I like about the course.

The first one is definitely the range of topics that you can cover.

So, in first year it's generally a grounding of the major areas of linguistics that you then in second and third year, you can build on these.

And there's a massive range of options that you can choose from.

There's Forensics, Child Language, Phonology, there really is something that will suit you whatever your interest might be.

And secondly, I think because the cohort is generally smaller than some other subjects, you really get to know your course mates and your tutors, and the tutors are always so happy to help you.

You can pop in to their office hours or send them an email, and it's no problem at all if you have any questions.

So, I think you really get the sense of a little community of its own, which I think is really lovely.

[ON SCREEN TEXT] HOW I’VE CHANGED

I think university is such an important time for growing your confidence and especially in English Language and Linguistics, you often rely a lot on your intuition.

There might not always be a straightforward, correct answer.

And gaining confidence in this sort of thing is definitely something that you learn over the three years, but it is always done in such a supportive environment that it is a lot easier.

And obviously, having confidence in your own intuition is something that is definitely going to help you in your future, regardless of what you decide to go on to after university.

[ON SCREEN TEXT] WHAT’S NEXT?

For me, I'm in my final year now, so everyone's working on their dissertations and I think I'm just really looking forward to seeing what everyone finds out.

And it's been so lovely to see people planning projects that they are so interested in and that they're so passionate about.

[ON SCREEN TEXT] MY ADVICE

I think my main pieces of advice would be firstly to take your time.

Definitely don't rush into making any decisions.

Make sure that you have read the course content and that you're happy with the modules and that you find them interesting.

And like I said, take advantage of the Applicant Day, if you can, but also make sure you enjoy the process.

Starting university and making all your choices is definitely a really exciting time.