What our students think

Southampton has an excellent reputation for medieval studies and I developed my PhD proposal with Professor Catherine Clarke, who I was excited to work with.

I’ve always loved writing, but it’s at Southampton that I discovered how much I love learning about writing, developing as each of us must develop if we’re to succeed in our chosen field.

I had heard about the MA in 18th Century Studies and about the ties the university has with Chawton Library, which offered excellent research resources and an exciting opportunity to find a more tangible link with this period

I chose to study at Southampton University because I was captivated by the flexibility of module choices available to undergraduates. As a result of this, I knew that I would be able to reach my potential because I could choose modules that I would enjoy.

The system of choosing modules by preference has allowed me to avoid studying subjects I don’t enjoy and specialise in areas I am really interested in or that I have not studied before

The staff are extremely approachable, always willing to give up their time and organise extra one-to-one sessions with us if we need help. I think Southampton is unique in terms of student-staff rapport, I have not encountered another university with such a level of friendliness and support.

I will resume teaching in my university in Egypt with new, fresh intellectual mind up-to-date with the current academic debates and methodologies of thinking.

I recently completed a six week internship at Gulf News in Dubai which I enjoyed thoroughly. I conducted interviews, attended press releases and wrote a load of articles which were published in the paper. This was great experience for me and a fabulous opportunity. Getting my name in print exceeded any expectation I had for the internship, and my University of Southampton place certainly helped secure the internship!

As a postgraduate student, I enjoy having a bit more flexibility in how I study, and I especially enjoy the independence I’m given to explore different avenues in my research.

I was initially attracted to Southampton because of its reputation as being a research intensive university in the Russell Group. Visiting at an Open Day only confirmed that Southampton was the right place for me!

I learnt so much - but a particular highlight (and one that has served me well in my career!) was learning to craft an essay – definitely a transferable skill to the working environment.

I looked at reviews of courses and at the Universities place in league tables and it’s standing as a Russell Group University and that made me want to come here too.

I’d lived in Southampton before, and like the city. The department’s reputation played a part too, and the university’s standing as a Russell Group University, but the main reason was my supervisor – I really wanted to work with her.

I’m never tied down to doing something that doesn’t interest me and there’s a real focus of coming up with your own argument on a topic. If a topic fascinates you, you can go away, focus on a part of it, research it further and then start coming up with your own ideas. I love having this kind of freedom

Carving out my own ‘identity’ within my studies - working out what really fired me up and then using that to shape my course was very formative, and definitely enabled by some brilliantly supportive staff.

My main interest was to study Shakespearean drama but from a modern lens and this is what Southampton offered me here. The wide range of expertise from Medieval to present day and the diverse body of research active staff were the main reasons to join the University of Southampton.

I love the campus buzz. Even if my lecture is off in a corner I try and go via the main concourse by the Students Union because there’s always something weird and wonderful going on there.

I chose Southampton because the English course is one of the best in the country – as are the lecturers. I also absolutely loved the campus.

Studying at Southampton is enjoyable. As a student, you feel you belong to a community made up of nice people. Lecturers are real professionals. They are usually supportive and caring.

I completed my undergraduate degree here so had a good rapport with the staff and knew that the quality of teaching was good.

I am most interested in the eighteenth century; therefore, I was looking for an MA programme that focused on literature from that era. Southampton offers an astounding Eighteenth-Century Studies MA that has opened my eyes to not only eighteenth-century literature but visual and material culture too.

Through the University's Careers and Employability Service, I recently managed to secure an internship at a literary agency.

No one can tell you which university is right for you, but if you want a course with flexibility and variety, if you want to be located on a beautiful campus with an active students' union and you want to feel part of a really inclusive and exciting community then look no further than Southampton

The course looked amazing, and there are loads of great options to choose from in your second and third year so you can do things you really enjoy. It's interesting, challenging and lots of fun, and I've really enjoyed it!

I love my degree programme! The thing I like most about it is the range of different texts which I get to read – no two modules so far have been the same and it’s not always material that I would have read for myself which makes it very interesting.

Having already studied at Southampton, I liked the style of teaching, and the staff in the English department. With the larger challenge of the MA, I felt confident that the university would help and support me, and so knew I wanted to come back after my BA.

I hugely enjoyed my MA. Having a year to develop my writing skills at Southampton definitely helped me get where I am today; it was a great stepping stone into the wider world.

The people on the course, students, lecturers and PhD students, were all fantastic and I continue to regularly meet with friends I made on my English BA course. The expertise in the department was very diverse and the module Holocaust Literature was an amazingly insightful and a fascinating module.

Southampton is a marvellous place to study its research environment is extremely strong and the lecturers in the department are the nicest bunch of people you could wish to meet.

I went to an open day at the university and was even more persuaded to attend here. The breadth and diversity of the modules offered is more difficult to come by in other universities and it really allows students to tailor their undergraduate experience to suit individual interests.