Welcome to your new course at York St John University

We are Adam Smith, the Course Lead for English Literature and Sam Reese, Course Lead for Creative Writing. Congratulations on receiving an offer to join us! We wanted to get in touch to tell you a little more about what to expect at YSJ and suggest some ideas for getting ready.  

First semester

In Literature, Adam works alongside Zoe Enstone (Associate Head of the School of Humanities: English Literature), Fraser Mann (Head of First Year) and everyone on the English Literature team to deliver the teaching on our degree. Our motto is: that “Words Matter.” Every time words are intentionally placed in a specific order, they generate a specific effect, and it is our job to analyze that effect. We’ll  examine the effect of words in all kinds of texts, including poetry and novels, but also films, graphical novels and plays. As you’ll see, the skills needed to read well and make meaning of this effect are widely transferable and will serve you well in your life after study.   

Creative Writing is a small, close-knit team and includes Professor Abi Curtis, an acclaimed poet and novelist, Professor Rob Edgar, a specialist in both scriptwriting and folk horror, Dr Helen Pleasance and Prof. Vybarr Cregan-Reid both creative non-fiction experts, Caleb Klaces, a novelist and experimental writer, poet Dr John Challis, and our publishing guru Dr Rob O'Connor.  

The first year of the degree is designed to equip you with everything you need to read critically, develop confidence and thrive. It is also a time for you to settle in. You’ll get to know our teaching team and you’ll also get plenty of opportunities to make new friends. For instance, you might want to join one of the many societies run by our book-loving Literature and Creative Writing students. There’s a Shakespeare Society, the Dead Poets Society (University-wide book club) and even a Horror, to name just a few!

Before you arrive

For Literature, if you'd like to find out more about us before you arrive, here are some resources to explore:

• YSJ Big Summer Read: Join current staff and students at YSJ in reading Hex House by Amy Jane Stewart.
• Words Matter Instagram: Here we spotlight the different books we read (if you want to get ahead with the reading, you'll get loads of ideas here!)
• Words Matter Lecture: Check out this lecture on 'the uses of Literature' to get a taste of what it is like in an undergraduate lecture.
• Book'd & Busy: A Lit Life on Campus: Check out the official English Literature and Creative Writing podcast, hosted by current students Madz and Rachel, to hear about the books that made us.
• Pass it On Podcast: Get to know your tutors by exploring this series of interviews about their research.

If you’re keen to get started on some reading, the following texts will help you to understand the difference between A-Level and University-level study, begin learning how to analyse literature and build interpretations grounded in matters of form, style and composition and start to think less like a student and more like a literary critic. Please note that we do not expect you to purchase these works, but these are often available online (for instance on Google books) or via your local library: 

• The Art of Poetry: How to Read A Poem by Shira Wolosky 
• Essayism by Brian Dillon  
• An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory by Andrew Bennett and Nicholas Royle

If you’d like to get a head start on reading literature, having some familiarity with any of these before you start university would prove useful:

• Dracula by Bram Stoker 
• Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe 
• Any of the plays by William Shakespeare (especially Hamlet and The Tempest)
• Paradise Lost by John Milton  
• The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson 
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
• Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

You can also search specific reading lists for your modules by searching by module title. All single and joint honour students take ‘Introduction to Literary Studies 1’, so this might be a good starting point.

I should note though, that we try to minimise how many books students need to buy, so you’ll see that quite a lot of the entries on the reading lists will have links to ebooks or scans. Unfortunately, this does need a university login to access, so not everything will be available to you before you’re registered with us.

For Creative Writing, you might want to start with a few reflections on writing:

• What do you think your strengths are as a writer?
• What areas do you want to improve in?
• Which writers or books do you most admire and why?
• What was the last thing you read that really moved you, and why?

And finally, have a go at this writing prompt:

Write a story where a young character is playing a game with other children or teenagers. Then, add a frame to this memory, where the character is much older. How has their life changed the way they think about this memory?

Welcome Week

In Welcome Week you’ll get a chance to meet both teams, find out more about the course and the city, and to quiz some of our current students on their top tips for making the most of the degree. 

We are really looking forward to exploring the wonderful world of literature together as well as welcoming you to the York St John University writing community.

Adam and Sam

We know that this is an exciting and challenging time for you. We’re here to help you settle into university life, and to do this, we offer a variety of activities and events throughout the first few weeks. 

We’re committed to your success and wellbeing and we offer a variety of academic support services such as tutorials, study retreats, and skills guides, to help you reach your potential. York St John also has a dedicated careers team in Future You, who can guide you through your career options, professional development, and placement and Study Abroad opportunities.  

Your studies are important to us, but we also care about your wellbeing. If things get difficult, our wellbeing and welfare team are here to offer a range of general and more specialised support services. 

You’ll be joining a vibrant and busy campus community, and we encourage you to take part in the range of societies and events that that the University has to offer.  

Over the next few years, you’ll get to know the Social Sciences team, and to learn about our interests through a variety of modules that are inspired by our research. You’ll have the opportunity to explore key theories and perspectives, and to apply these to your understanding of the social world. 

Before you arrive

Along with helping you get to grips with the fundamental building blocks of social sciences, our teaching on the courses is based around the research staff conduct in the department (including working with us as student researchers in your final year).  

We do work on graffiti, video games, asylum housing, reality TV and court representation to name a few. We even look at extra-terrestrial crime!

It's worth saying that you needn't worry about buying any books for your studies as they'll all be available for you in the library when you enrol. In the meantime, feel free to have a look through the links above to learn a little more about what we do and what you'll be working with us on when you start your course.

You can also visit our Social Sciences Instagram feed to see more of what we do.

Welcome Week

During Welcome Week, you’ll get the opportunity to meet the staff team and to find out more about life at York St John.  

You’ll also get to celebrate with social events, and meet other first year students during our Social Sciences Welcome Week talk. Here, we’ll tell you more about the course and about ourselves, and you’ll get to meet your future classmates.

Throughout the week, the Students’ Union hosts a variety of welcome events, including the Freshers’ Fair and evening socials.

You’ll also be assigned to a personal academic tutor (PAT) - they’ll be your main point of contact for support over the next three years. 

We are looking forward to welcoming you to the York St John University community. If you’re awaiting exam results, then we wish you the best of luck. If you have any questions in the meantime, please feel free to contact me via email.

Katharine