Hi, I’m Rebekah!

I am a final year student in French and Italian studies here at Manchester.

I have always been passionate about languages; I studied French at A-Level and knew it was something I wanted to pursue. When looking at University courses I saw how great the cultural departments were at Manchester, especially for Italian Renaissance studies. I attended my interview and absolutely loved the University campus for both its resources and proximity to the diverse city centre.

In first year, all modules were compulsory, but they gave a great insight to the cultural, historical, and political modules on offer. In second and fourth year we could choose which cultural modules we studied and learn more about the topics we enjoyed in first year. The teaching and support for these modules has been great and I have felt confident in researching for further reading.

My favourite module studied was the Italian Renaissance, I found it fascinating to learn about the sophistication of fine art and human existence. Seminars were extremely engaging and always clarified what we had already learned whilst prompting us to question and research more.

I love student life here in Manchester, I often like going to restaurants and bars in the city centre when I am not studying – it is important to take time to relax and have fun too! I have been lucky to get a scholarship from RWS Brode whilst studying and I completed a placement over summer which allowed me to see how translators work and the different tasks they may be set.

During the year abroad I decided to study – I spent the first semester in Toulouse and the second in Naples. Toulouse is now my favourite city, and I am hoping to spend much more time there in the future. Studying abroad was an incredible experience, not only did It develop my language skills but also my resilience as I had been extremely apprehensive about going. Please feel free to reach out to me should you have any questions or doubts about going abroad because trust me – if I managed it, you will too!

If you are considering studying languages here at The University of Manchester, I really do recommend it for its resources, staff, and ongoing research. I was surprised to learn how many connections the city has with the Italian Renaissance, for example the John Rylands library which has connections with our university and is a truly beautiful place to study. It is nice to have University buildings all over the city so you will never be confined to campus, you can study in so many lovely places and get to know a fun and diverse city!

Please do look up the different modules on offer and if you have any other questions – especially regarding French and Italian studies, I am more than happy to answer further queries.

Written by Rebekah Ostle, a final year French and Italian Studies student

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