Who are you? I’m 21 years old and in my second year of American Studies at the University of Portsmouth. I live at home on the outskirts of the city. I enjoy music by Jack Johnson and ELO and I’m a fan of the Back to the Future movies. I like nothing better than taking in the local scenery on a bicycle ride.
Why did you choose this course? I was very impressed by the SLAS department on the open-day. I wanted to study something entirely different at University, and so I chose to do American Studies! I’ve already learned so much about North and South America – history, politics and culture (and a bit of economics for good measure). I’m also learning Japanese with the University language programme.
How did you get here? After finishing College, I started a degree in Environmental Science but realised it wasn’t for me. I took a few excellent courses with the Open University while I worked part time at a supermarket, before I decided to return to full-time education. American Studies has allowed me to develop my research ability and essay writing skills, as well as learning about an entirely new subject area.
What are your plans? Once I’ve got my American Studies degree, I’ll be completing a science qualification with the OU. I plan to spend a year teaching English in Japan after I’ve graduated, and then visiting south-east Asia. I wouldn’t mind doing an internship in the USA, and I also have ideas of becoming a full-time teacher later in life. So nothing’s really certain, but it’s good to dream!