We understand that the transition to university can feel a bit overwhelming. There will be lots of people to help you when you get here but you might already be wondering what university will be like and, as Head of School, I wanted to provide an advance outline of what learning experience to expect when you are studying English at St Andrews.
Studying English at university is (obviously and excitingly) not the same as studying English at school. University-level learning involves different teaching methods and the rate of reading through texts is much faster (at least one author per week rather than one author or text for a whole term). We take it for granted that, if you have come to St Andrews to study English, you already love reading and are prepared to read a lot. For students with registered special needs or disabilities, the University will offer specific support.
In your first year, the two main teaching methods you will experience are the lecture (the whole class of 200 plus people in a large lecture hall or online with one lecturer for 45 minutes) and the tutorial (you and about 6 or 7 other students with a tutor in a smaller room (or online if circumstances require) for 45 minutes). In lectures, you will be encouraged to listen and interrogate (in your mind) received opinion and ask questions of yourself and others.
The tutorial is discussion-based. You are not being tested (tutorials are all about the chance to experiment with new ideas), but you will be invited to speak about each text on a week-by-week basis, to bring queries along and to ask questions. We understand that, especially at the start, students might feel shy about venturing opinions, asking questions or throwing out spontaneous thoughts in front of a small group, but this is why you are here. The first week can seem daunting, but (trust us!) discussion gets progressively easier after the first week. Your tutor's job is to ensure that everyone participates fully to the best of their ability and to encourage your development as an independent thinker through your study of English.
We look forward very much to welcoming you in September. The course begins with a selection of Victorian poetry made available online. Reading any poetry from the Victorian period will help you prepare for this section of the course.
Professor Ian Johnson,
Head of School