I like studying Arabic in a small faculty. You get incredible lecturers, and one-on-one contact with world-leading experts, who are keen to help you!
The Arabic language courses have surprised me in the way that they’ve changed how I think. I have found that learning grammar systematically has made me better at applying systematic thinking in other contexts. I also love the variety of courses. When I started my degree I was interested in Arabic literature, but I’ve found that I’ve really enjoyed the history courses too.
I knew that I wanted to study a language at university, and wanted to learn one from scratch. There is so much more to Japan and its culture than I anticipated. The cultural courses have really surprised me - we are taught to challenge everything, even the questions we’re being asked!
I like that the Japanese language courses are taught by mother-tongue speakers, and the staff are always very helpful. I have also enjoyed being able to tailor my degree to my interests in second year by choosing the courses I took.
I went to Japan for the first time at the end of my first year and could already communicate fairly well. I’m doing an internship in Japan this summer - I’m going to see where this takes me, I might like to work in Japan for a while after my degree.
For me, the BA in Middle Eastern Studies is perfect - it gives you all round skills, and a sense of cultural awareness. You can also really tailor the degree to yourself.
I especially like the Arabic literature courses. Knowing the original language allows you to access this written heritage and the rich stories within it. On my year abroad I went to Morocco and studied at a language school, which massively boosted my speaking ability.
The teachers really make FAMES. The teaching groups are small, so you really get to know them and you form personal relationships. I still chat to faculty staff who taught me in my first year.
After I graduate this year, I’m going to Paris to study an MA in International Public Management with Middle Eastern Studies and Human Rights.
Originally I applied to study Arabic, but I moved to Hebrew because I found it was really well suited to my interests. The course has challenged me to seek things out for myself. I’ve opened up to different ways of thinking about history and culture - I like looking at human interaction through the lens of history and poetry, and using Hebrew language to do so. I’m particularly interested in understanding how people relate to notions of god and religion.
On my year abroad I’m going to Israel. First I’m going to stay on a kibbutz doing pottery, then I’m going to study at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
I enjoy the community aspect of FAMES. It’s a small faculty, so you really get to know your peers, and you get to personally interact with teaching staff.