English Language and Linguistics BA
Simply, it was a fantastic four years of my life. That was largely due to the people I met.
I looked at a number of degrees in linguistics and none of them offered the variety that Kent did. Also at Kent, the modules were more rounded and forward-looking – for instance, not just giving you the historical view, but providing a fuller understanding of the entire field. I also really liked the place – Canterbury as a city and the campus itself. The city is great to wander around and the large campus meant that there was a variety of places to socialise or relax in. Living in Park Wood, as did, means you could escape the academic element of the university if you wished.?
The course was varied, offering modules covering grammar and syntax, literature-focused linguistics, media, philosophy and how English language applies to culture and life around the globe. The lecturers were great; always enthusiastic. They helped me to engage with topics that I might not have found interesting, such as grammar and pragmatics. They were great at communicating and explaining things in a way that suited people who loved that area, and the people who weren't so sure.
I did an MA by Research at Kent, supervised by Jeremy Scott. He was the driving force behind me taking on the MA! He was fantastic throughout my four years – always enthusiastic and interested in hearing student perspectives and ideas.
In addition to the normal ‘studenty’ things that people get up to, I founded (along with another student) ELLSOC, the English Language and Linguistics Society, which I believe is still going strong. It was formed as a way for students within the department to socialise, as well as help each other with the work – though primarily the former.
I am now working within the advertising industry – mainly research, insight and strategy. Essentially, my degree gave me the ability to analyse and communicate effectively, and to take an interest in a wide range of topics, whether it be syntax, poetry or a media/ semiotic analysis. Throughout my four years, I learnt to question things and tried to understand why things are as they are –?hugely important within the advertising/media sector. That questioning is even better if it leads to an original, interesting idea: whether that happens in an essay or in the media/creative industries.
As the old cliché goes, there really is no typical day! Whether I'm tracking a brand through social media, researching and examining the latest technologies, trends and insights, working on a brief, developing a new strategy model, or feverishly working towards a pitch using my problem-solving skills, there really is no standard routine – things change hour by hour. This is even more so when it comes to technology – things change as quickly as you can read about them.
I'm currently enjoying what I do, but all aspects of media and advertising strategy, insight, research and planning are of interest. My job spec is to make communications different –more interesting, more effective. My motto is that if you have to watch/read/listen to advertising (often in order to receive free services), it should at least be interesting.
Simply, it was a fantastic four years of my life. That was largely due to the people I met, but also due to successfully meeting the many challenges (both academic and personal) that all students encounter.
