Portrait of Simone bhagat

Simone Bhagat

Please tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

I’m a first year student who is passionate about studying and academic life. At the University I’m currently part of the Linguistics society and the horse riding society. 

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

When I came to visit, I was drawn to the School of English and the way that the students talked about their courses really showed how great the staff are. I knew that I wanted to study English at university since high school, so having the opportunity to combine English Language with a new, exciting field of Linguistics made Leeds more appealing. Being able to choose from so many different modules also made me want to choose Leeds.

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

It is such an interesting degree, we get taught about the things that other people don’t usually think about in everyday life, which perhaps makes us more literate and aware of how language can manipulate people. Doing a combined degree also gives two different sides of similar topics, for example grammar is analyzed in two different ways, which enhances our skills even more. My degree lets me study such unique modules, which is why it is so interesting.

What aspects of the course did you enjoy the most?  

In semester one, I enjoyed learning about topics I had never done before. For example, learning about grammatical ambiguity was really interesting as I’d never been aware of it before. As well as this, I found that I enjoyed my assignments, as I wanted to learn more about the topics, especially in Key Skills (Linguistics) when we did a critical reading task about empowerment and ethics in research.

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

The University’s facilities are great. Although the libraries can be very busy, they are full of helpful books that are specific to each course and really easy to find. They are modern and really cosy, I enjoy spending time in there. I also like how both the schools have foyers where you can spend time either relaxing, working, or asking for help from tutors. 

What would you say to anyone thinking of applying to your course?

Although it may look like a challenge at first- go for it. If you’re interested and committed to your subject, you will enjoy learning about things you never even thought about, and the skills that you’ll gain by the end of it will be worth every minute.