Katie Warrior

Tell us a bit about yourself?

I am 20 years old, from Middlesbrough in the North East, and I study BA English Literature. I completed the Access to Leeds course before coming to University – which I found really helpful and which enabled me to come to Leeds.  

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

I loved the campus and how close it is to the city centre. When I visited Leeds on an open day, I fell in love with the School of English – it’s such a comforting and welcoming environment. 

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

There’s so much knowledge and pleasure and understanding to be gained from reading – it can help you understand yourself, others, and the world so much better. I am fascinated by how literature feeds into every day life, and almost every aspect of life. It really is such a crucial subject and there are so many interesting, niche areas of study within it. 

What aspects of the course do you enjoy the most?   

I love looking at context and how it feeds into the texts we read - it often feels like I’m studying history and literature at the same time because of how intertwined they both are. I love the wider reading, it’s where the texts come to life and you can really start to uncover different layers of meaning within a text. 

Have you worked closely with a particular tutor or member of the University’s academic staff?

I find seminar tutors to be incredibly helpful – they tend to be your port of call for specific modules, and because seminar groups are much smaller than lecture groups, you have plenty of opportunity to talk 1 on 1 with them.

In my second year in particular I made more of an effort to work with my seminar tutors around assessment periods – consulting them before, after and during the writing process, even if it’s just for a 10 minute TEAMS call, doing this can be so helpful and transformative to your work. 

Are you involved in any activities outside of your studies?

I have tried out different societies, particularly in my first year – this was a really lovely way of making friends whilst I was settling into Leeds. You will most likely meet people with similar interests, and it’s nice to meet people on different courses.  

What do you plan to do when you’ve finished your course, and how do you think the skills and knowledge you’ve developed so far at Leeds will help with these plans? 

I am hoping to go on a study abroad year after my third year, which I deferred due to the pandemic. The skills and knowledge I have gained so far whilst at Leeds will help me to think thoroughly and realistically about where I want to go on my year abroad, how to make the most of my time whilst I’m there, and how to balance my time well during the application process.  

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

Go for it! It’s fascinating, and there’s so much to gain from it. There’s something for everyone, no matter what niche area of literature you’re interested in. Some of the optional modules are so specific and allow for you to really dive deep into a subject area – you’ll find yourself unlocking interests and passions you never knew you had, and it will definitely expand your horizons as a person.