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Student Testimonials

The following comments are taken from the student feedback forms from past Summer Schools.

Have you any comments on the range of seminars offered or the way in which the TSE Summer School was structured?

  • "Excellent range encompassing many different areas of Eliot Studies and an interdisiplinary approach. The time slots chosen i.e. morning lectures, afternoon seminars, worked very well for me."
  • "I thought the range of seminars was good. The whole Summer School was just jam-packed with events for learning and provoking discussion."
  • "I was very well satisfied with the range of seminars and the structure of the program."
  • "Excellent."
  • "The range of seminars was great. It was difficult to pick! The structure worked very well, I thought, with the lectures in the morning and seminars in the afternoon."
  • "I really enjoyed it and I found the range was fascinating."
  • "Fantastic engagement of Eliot studies in a relaxed and deeply respectful environment."

Were the programmes and other materials distributed in class useful (or will they be so in the future, after you return home)?

  • "Yes, very. I will certainly look back over them in the future."
  • "Yes, very much so. Looking forward to sharing back home."
  • "Very much so - I have much reading to do now!"
  • "Absolutely - great deal of material to consider".
  • "They were. More handouts from all the lectures would have been helpful."
  • "Yes - very useful. Material distributed for seminars complemented discussion well and was the right quantity."

What aspects of the course content were of the greatest interest and relevance to your purposes? Was the intellectual level of the course appropriate?

  • "It was great to feel at the forefront of Eliot Studies. The course did not feel like [an] easy re-hash, but really helped me to expand and broaden my knowledge and interest in the field."
  • "For me, it was very appropriate. It made me think and I am expecting much of it will require gradual decoding over time."
  • "Taking a look at unexpected sources of Eliot's work gave fresh insight into his achievement, and the reading was well pitched for discussion".
  • "Coverage of the poetry was most useful to me in itself and in relation to broader theory and historical contexts."
  • "Amazing professors; really inspiring!"
  • "The lectures were most relevant (and enjoyable!). I found the content of these intellectually stimulating."

With regard to the offsite excursions and activities (e.g. walking tours and trips to Little Gidding, Burnt Norton and East Coker), were they effective?

  • "The excursions were stunning. Hearing the poetry in situ was very special."
  • "I just loved the excursions"
  • "Very stimulating and fun!"
  • "The excursions were wonderful. They enriched the course immensely, not only being enjoyable but also giving a further and deeper understanding of Eliot's poetry."

What did you like best about the TSE Summer School?

  • "The level of intellectual seriousness about the whole thing. It was evident that there was a true emphasis on making the summer school a rigorous endeavour. Highlights for me included the off-site trips, Sir Christopher Ricks's lecture, the incredible presence of Heaney at all events at the beginning of the week, the evening reading with Heaney, Jeremy Irons, and Dominic West etc., and of course just being in Russell Square all week. "
  • "The opportunity to hear from and interact with top rank scholars and other students working on a wide range of Eliot Studies"
  • "I liked the diversity and range of topics discussed, the amount of scholarship present. And most of all the atmosphere of friendly discussions and inoffensive arguments."
  • "Interaction with scholars and presentations/plenaries."
  • Incisive lectures complemented by breadth and depth of seminar work."

How could the TSE summer school have been improved?

  • "Just maintain the high standard of this one. Well done to all involved. I've never learnt so much in such a short amount of time."
  • "No ideas. It has been great. Perhaps more lecture handouts."
  • "A little more leeway before walking tours would be nice - and possibly 30 mins more for seminars?"
  • "Longer, cheaper."
  • "By distributing seminars reading in more time to allow more time for preparation."

Do you feel that the TSE Summer School was good value for money ?

  • "Excellent value for money."
  • "Outstandingly good value"
  • "Yes I do. Food and trips included, it was reasonable. Plus the expertise."
  • "I could not have done this course without a full bursary. However, it is still good value and I will recommend it to others."

Any final thoughts or comments?

  • "The whole experience was a thrill for me, exceeding my highest expectations. I so enjoyed meeting the other students...The presence and availability of so many remarkable scholars, all of whom were anxious to speak with any student at any time, was excellent, only to be outdone by the presence and availability of three wonderful poets. I could not have had a better time."
  • "Thanks very much for a wonderful experience - the program was so smoothly run and hospitable. Enjoyable as well as educational."
  • "I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It would be great if there was an official (or unofficial) platform for sharing email or contact details, even if on a voluntary basis." [See our TSE Summer School group on Facebook.]
  • "This was one of the most intellectually stimulating weeks of my life. Thank you!"
  • "Excellent, stimulating and refreshing. It was a pleasure to be amongst such a group of people. Thank you!"

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