Written by Michelle Yen, a 2nd year CAHAE student

Having had a fabulous first year here in Manchester, I cannot wait to return to university as a second year Archaeology and Egyptology minor student. Initially, I was attracted to the historic vibe of the city, and how internationally represented is of this university. Most importantly, I enjoyed the diverse modules options for my course here, ranging from different time periods and locations, such as the Neolithic Britain or to study the Near East, as well as the opportunity to receive training from professionals for doing fieldwork each year.

Basically, for my Archaeology course, I must take a minimum of 120 each year alongside with 40 credits for the Egyptology minor. “Discoveries and discoverers” and “Doing Archaeology 1” were the compulsory modules that I took last year. I remember them being extremely useful as it opens a new world of archaeology for all first-year students, encourage us to think about archaeology in a different perspective, also I was familiarised and introduced to the basic knowledge of archaeology. I took four other interesting modules, including “Living and Dying in the Ancient World” and “The Story of Britain”, the latter I chose and loved because I want to get a broad overview of the history of Britain, from prehistoric to modern. Besides, the Egyptology modules includes “Introduction to the History and Culture of Pharaonic Egypt” and the “Tomb and Temple: Religion and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt”. They are my favourites since I had been fascinated by the history of Ancient Egypt since I was little, and the lecturers are really engaging and passionate about their teaching.

I’m grateful that I got into this university, not just because it’s my dream university, also the staff and student support, such as peer mentors, are amazingly helpful. All lecturers are very approachable and would help with any school-related problems. The career support here at university also provides constructive support to students who are worrying about their future careers and help with problem such as creating your CV. It could be quite daunting at first during your first year when you know nobody, but not to worry, there are hundreds of societies you can join from. I have joined the CAHAE society, which is a good way to meet and get acquaintance with students and friends within CAHAE through the weekly socials.

I was new to the city and was intimidated by the unfamiliar surroundings in the beginning. Fortunately, studying a course that I am passionate about and knowing some genuine good friends from my course, who embraced and showed me around the city really helped. The above reasons all help to push my loneliness and homesickness away and contribute to my delightful school life here as a Manchester student. I wish the best of luck to prospective students, and I hope to see you all next year!

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