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Wondering how to prepare for your course, or have you got some time to kill before you start your studies? Our Course Directors have put together a list of activities you can do from home to get ready for September.

Undergraduate English

Course Director: Dr. Joe Anderton

All of our new undergraduate students arriving in the School of English at BCU go through a transition process to level up from their previous learning and prepare for university-level study. It's a big change for everyone, particularly the volume and depth of reading required. But it is a gradual, guided process, and it can start now.

Simply put, over the summer your focus should be on practising reading and writing. These are skills that develop together and need regular time to flourish. Read as much and as widely as possible. Get used to reading on a daily basis; make it a normal part of your day. You’ll find you become a swifter, but still attentive, reader as a result. Write notes about what you read; jot down ideas and questions, highlight interesting and significant passages, and spend time reflecting on what each book in about and how it is written. Ask yourself about:Ìý

• Subject Matter: What is the text about? What are its main themes? What does it have to say?
• Speakers/Characters: Who is speaking or spoken about? What’s their perspective? What do we learn about them?Ìý
• Tone: What is the feel, colour or atmosphere of the writing?Ìý
• Diction: Which specific word choices or phrases are noteworthy and why?
• Function: What does the text do? What is its significance or value?Ìý

Most importantly: I'd like you to shift your focus from WHAT you read to HOW you read. It’s important to become a more conscious and critical reader and writer, one who thinks deeply about the composition and importance of texts. If you begin to develop these approaches to reading and writing, you’ll find you’re mentally and practically better prepared for English studies at BCU.ÌýÌý