All Saints' Academy Sixth Form alumnus Curtis Mansfield has been awarded a first class honours degree in English Language from the University of Birmingham.
All Saints' Academy Sixth Form alumnus Curtis Mansfield has been awarded a first class honours degree in English Language from the University of Birmingham. The University of Birmingham is part of the Russell Group along with 23 other universities. Russell Group universities are committed to maintaining the very best research, an outstanding teaching and learning experience and unrivalled links with business and the public sector.
Whilst studying at All Saints' Curtis achieved A* A A in English Language, Geography and ICT.
We caught up with Curtis to congratulate him on his fantastic achievement.
What was your biggest achievement at university?
Academically, my biggest achievement was attaining a first overall. There were some very intelligent people on my course who got a 2:1, which is also a fantastic result, but there's something special about getting a first. Outside of that, probably organising our subject society ball in second year on an extremely limited budget. We started off with about £150, so raising the funds to organise a ball for 100 people was tough, but we just about managed it.
What did you enjoy most about your course at the University of Birmingham?
Probably the diversity in module choices. Although all first year modules were compulsory, we had the choice to narrow down into specialist areas as the course progressed. I liked having the variety though, so my modules included the History of the English Language, Discourse Analysis, as well as Clinical Linguistics (sort of like speech and language therapy). My dissertation was also completely different from these, where I studied how men construct masculine identities when discussing love and relationships.
What advice would you give to our Sixth Form students?
I'd recommend working towards something you enjoy, because you won't view it as a chore. I genuinely enjoyed writing and researching a lot of my work at university, which was reflected in the work itself. You're also more likely to work hard at it if you enjoy it.
What experiences at All Saints’ inspired you to go to University of Birmingham?
Being at All Saints' made me realise that I could actually go to one of the best universities in the country. The staff really get to know you and your strengths, and it was only after discussing my potential with various teachers that I even began to consider that I could exceed my previous expectations.
Where are you looking to go to following your graduation?
I've currently been quite unsuccessful in the job hunt, but I've been going for some very competitive jobs in London. I got into the last 16 of 1000 applicants for one job in a process that took months,but couldn't progress any further. I've realised now that I have to get some more experience under my belt (which I would also advise to get asap) before I can make that big move. I've got an interview for a PR job in Cheltenham in the next couple of weeks, so we'll have to see how that goes!
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
In 5 years, I'd like to be living in London doing a PR job. Hopefully I'll have progressed to a senior role by then so that I can save up and invest in my future.
