Hi! I am a first-year History and Spanish student. Although my degree is equally weighted between the two subjects, I am going to focus on the Spanish side, as that’s where most of my contact hours during the week are focused.
Central to my degree is the core Spanish language module that I study. I normally have a two-hour Spanish lesson in the morning, about twice a week. Our language classes are made up of a small number of students; there are only eight people in my class. This is very helpful, as it allows everyone to work together at a comfortable pace, and also means the teacher has more time to spend going over things we may need more help with. Once a week, we also work in groups to prepare some sort of presentation that we will show to the class at the end of term – this really helps with the speaking aspect of the module! We do a lot of speaking practice in class, as well as writing, reading and listening.
I normally have an hour or two after my Spanish class before my lecture. I often go to the KCLSU in Bush House, as it’s a really chilled out space to get a coffee, do some work, or just hang with friends! Another thing to do is use the sleep pods. These are perfect for just a little nap in between lessons and they’re pretty cool to be honest. When the weather is nice, I quite like to walk over to the courtyard in Somerset House which is right next door. It’s very pretty and it’s a nice space if you just want to chill outside.
One of the core modules I study as a Spanish student is one called ‘Global Iberias’. I personally find this module really interesting because it covers such a broad range of topics over a long period of time. I like this module because not only do we get to study the history of the Spanish and Portuguese speaking worlds, but we also look at culture and key themes which helped to shape society. So, once a week I have a Global Iberias lecture and shortly after, I have a seminar. The seminars are small focused groups, of normally around 10 students. The groups being made up of such small numbers really helps, because it means everyone has a chance to voice any opinions or thoughts they may have in a comfortable environment. Prior to the seminar, we are set a select few readings which will help us prepare for our class discussion, not only about the lecture but also about set materials. These different readings are helpful because it helps us to understand the lecture better and when discussing in class, it is interesting to see the differing interpretations everyone had.
After my seminar, I am normally done for the day. Sometimes, I then go and work in the Maughan Library for a little bit, which is just a 10-minute walk away, or I go to work in the Virginia Woolf Building. This is another building on the Strand campus, and I find the common room a nice, easy place to work or just hang out with friends. Sometimes my course mates and I grab dinner before we head home. Another great thing is that there are two tube stations right next to us, as well as there being restaurants and shops practically on the doorstep!
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For another student experience of a language joint honours degree, read Lillith’s day in the life of a German and History student.
You can read more about King’s Joint Honours degrees here.
*Please note that as of August 2022 the Departments of German, French, Spanish, Portuguese & Latin American Studies and Comparative Literature merged to form the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. For more information visit the Department page: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/dllc
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