Xsarina Noor Butt

Tell us a bit about yourself

Before I completed my undergraduate degree at University of Leeds, I studied A-Level English Language, English Literature and Sociology. This was a valuable experience for me and allowed me to develop my perseverance as my A-Level exams were cut short due to COVID.  

I started my degree in 2020 and in my first 2 years of my degree, I attended online lectures and seminars before transitioning to in-person sessions in my final year. My interests include reading (of course), listening to music, baking occasionally, hanging out with family and friends and doing activities (I am very competitive). Since my degree, I have developed a continuing passion for teaching and my PGCE has allowed me to gain useful and eye-opening experience in the Education sector.  

What have you been doing since finishing your studies?

Since graduating my degree in 2023, I went straight on to completing my PGCE Secondary English (11-18) qualification at the University of Manchester. I applied and went on interviews and I have secured a teaching position at Blackburn Central High School which I will start in September. I will now work towards my 2 years of ECT training to become a fully qualified Teacher of English.  

As a Teacher of English for KS3 and KS4 students I will be expected to set high expectations for students and monitor progress through learning and in assessments, use creative and innovative strategies to educate and engage learners, and have a passion for committing to improve outcomes for students and work towards professional development in my teaching.  

What experiences at Leeds do you think have particularly helped with your career? 

The experiences that I have had at Leeds have allowed me to gain a strong subject knowledge which has guided me through my PGCE year and that I will continue to develop in my career. Due to the assessments and dissertation practice and preparation, I was able to complete Masters-Level assignments as a part of my PGCE year. This has enabled me to develop my writing and research skills which I can then take forward. I have also studied a judicious range of different texts and forms of literature that I will be able to teach and discover new ways of delivering this content.  

Why did you choose to study your particular course? Why did you choose the University of Leeds? 

I chose to study this particular course because when I was applying for universities, I had read that University of Leeds was the best university to study English as they offered a variety of English courses and the different modules that were available drew me in. The University of Leeds was far from where I lived but this allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and experience life in a different and exciting city.  

What would you say about the learning and the support facilities in your School and at the University in general?  

The learning and support facilities in the School of English have allowed me to develop and improve my writing skills and the way that I learn. This was through one-to-one consultations with module tutors, and this allowed me to gain the necessary skills and knowledge for me to take forward.  

The career advisors at the University helped me guide my way through deciding what career path I would like to take into teaching and the immense support that I received has resulted in where I am today. 

What aspects of the course did you enjoy the most? 

I definitely enjoyed the different modules that were available. I particularly enjoyed the Language modules in the course as this had opened a new world into what English can be and what aspects of English we can access and take forward. I enjoyed my Dissertation year as I was able to focus on something that I really enjoyed, taking inspiration from one of the modules that I found very interesting in my degree. I also enjoyed creating a research poster for my dissertation and engaging in a poster conference with my fellow peers. 

Did you work closely with a particular tutor or member of the University’s academic staff? Tell us about that experience.  

I worked very closely with my personal tutor for my degree who was also my seminar tutor for some of my modules. I was able to develop a very close relationship with them as they had helped me through my dissertation and helped me guide my way through post-graduation pathways. I was able to seek support from them through a pastoral and academic way. They were willing to guide me through whatever problems that I was facing throughout my undergraduate degree.  

What would you say to students thinking about studying your course? 

I would say to any prospective students that are willing to study English Language and Literature to have an open mind when going into this course.  

I would advise them to pick modules that they are interested in. Overall, this is a great course in learning both sides of the English spectrum and that you should be willing to select your own way of learning and form your own opinion on the topics that you can study on the course.