Karen Fox

Please tell us a bit about yourself, your background etc.

I started University in 2013 entering my programme of study through completing a foundation year then progressing into my BA in Classical Civilisation and now I'm doing my Masters. I'm the first generation of my family to go to university and I plan to be the first to get a PhD!

What made you want to apply to your course and to Leeds?

Leeds is my hometown and the University has always been an unexplored area to me so when I applied I wanted to stay close to home but it was pure luck that I had such a great faculty on my door step.

What is it that makes you passionate about your area of study?

I love discovering the origins of things. When I was a child I incessantly asked 'why'? And my parents think it stems from there. Classics give me the answers to the 'why'. I am particularly interested in Latin Love elegy because I'm a romantic at heart and I think I like the fact that the Romans found love in the midst of Warring society. I also enjoy the research. I'm allowed to explore previously undiscovered aspects of classics and experiment with interdisciplinary subjects. 

How do you think postgraduate study differs from undergraduate study?

I am much more independent now. Postgraduate study specialises your knowledge even further within the subject. 

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

The Brotherton library is full of wonderful books, some of which are over 100 years old but are still vital to a Classicist's research. Our subject is in an exciting place as our texts are being transferred onto online databases and the University makes sure to keep our access updated consistently so we are never without.

Any other comment you would like to make?

Leeds has been my home all my life, I never expected the University to take a chance on me or even believe in me or someone like me, yet they were welcoming, encouraging and empowering. And I can never thank them enough for giving me the opportunity to be more than my birth dictates.