I am currently a third-year student studying Classical Literature and Civilisation, and I wish that before I started, I had someone share their experience of joining a course, which focuses on the subject they had never studied before. So here it is!
It can be very daunting, I knew that when I joined Birmingham, I was going to be surrounded with people who knew far more than me, who had been studying this since they were little, and some of whom could already read Latin and Greek! I have to admit that I had a lot of sleepless nights before I came, worrying that I would be really far behind. This, however, was not the case. Although it is true that most people have previous experience in Classics, since my time here I have met several people who, like me, came into this feeling a bit lost. Imposter syndrome is alive and kicking let me tell you! I consider myself to be very lucky though, the community at Birmingham has been unbelievably welcoming, and not once have I felt stupid for asking a question and knowledge has not been expected. In your first year your compulsory modules will include ‘Introduction to…Greek Literature/Roman History etc’, and these modules made it so everyone on the course started their second year on a level playing field. This eased a lot of my anxieties, and it really made me feel as if I could discuss and debate with my peers.
Classics isn’t really a subject you take on a whim, along with all the other subjects within CAHA, you do actually need to be interested in it to even know it exists as an option! It is not your prior knowledge about the Classical world which will pave your way to success, but it is your passion for the subject and your interest in it – this is what will really help you to do well. Even if your interest is based in a childhood obsession with Percy Jackson, or one too many episodes of Horrible Histories – that is enough! Once you have that spark of interest there is so many places that CAHA can take you. Don’t be afraid not to study what you want because you haven’t before, take the leap of faith! Trust your gut and if you know that Classics is the direction you want to go in, then go for it. All you need is a genuine interest. Now obviously, a basic knowledge of what you are actually getting yourself into is vital, but if you haven’t had a chance yet – maybe your school didn’t offer it as a subject, then there is no time like the present. Before committing to a CAHA subject I’d recommend you get your hands on a few of these following books to help you get a better understanding of what you’ll be doing, and head over to the CAHA Instagram – @caha_uob as well as some of our societies; @bacasbham and @uobarchsoc, to see more about what Classics is like here at Birmingham. You can also check out the new student led podcast, you can find more info on our Instagram, and you can listen on all platforms!
Books to have a look at;
- ‘Classics: A Very Short Introduction’ Mary Beard
- ‘Classical Mythology: A Very Short Introduction’ Helen Morales
- ‘The Classical World’ Robin Lane Fox
- ‘Eureka!’ Peter Jones