"I chose to study at UiS because I heard a lot of positives about the city Stavanger and also the student environment" says Erik Hjorth Kjelvik.
Name and study programme?
My name is Erik Hjorth Kjelvik. I am studying Master in English and Literacy studies.
Why did you choose to study Master in English and Literacy studies?
I’ve always had a knack for languages, and especially I enjoyed the English subject in upper secondary school. After I graduated, I did not know what to do for the following year. I therefore I applied for a 60 credits foundation course in English at Høgskolen i Østfold. During this course, I learnt about the fundamentals of English grammar and phonetics. In addition, the course provided both American and British Literature subjects. Although the subjects were demanding, I enjoyed working and delving into aforementioned subjects. I was therefore persistent in that I was going to pursue a degree in English, although in a different location.
Why did you choose Stavanger and UiS?
I chose to pursue my degree in Stavanger because of a desire to move to a bigger city and to begin studying at a university. I had friends from my hometown who studied here, and I heard a lot of positives about the city Stavanger and also the student environment at UiS. It was therefore a fitting choice for my needs
Why did you choose your specialization?
My specialisation is English Linguistics. I chose linguistics as my specialisation due to my keen interest of examining how language patterns differ in diverse contexts. I prioritse having a genuine interest in the subject matter of my MA thesis, and my passion for football has led me to pursue research in football linguistics. This decision was further solidified by my prior work on discourse markers in football player interviews as a part of my BA thesis. I am therefore writing my MA thesis on time-critical utterances in the syntax of British Premier League commentators. I am further investigating their usage of minimal utterances in high time pressure and their relation to a statistical metric called Expected Goals (xG).
How does a typical day at UiS look for you?
I have combined my studies with working as a teacher for most of my degree. This entails that I’m not spending every weekday on campus. However, when I do spend days on campus, I usually sit in one of the quiet zone areas at Kjølv Egelands Hus. Working individually can be tiresome in the long run, so I try to spend time with fellow students as well. As mentioned earlier, I am currently writing my MA thesis, so there are not many seminars I need to attend weekly. I therefore try to set certain goals every day, whether it is writing a certain number of words or pages. When it is time for a break, I usually enjoy a coffee at SiS Bokkafé.
Do you have any memories from your time here until now?
Over the years as a student at UiS, I have experienced a lot of memorable moments that will stick for life. I was lucky to acquaint many other students during the Fadder week, in which I still keep in touch with today. One of the most memorable events were definitely the annual cabin trips with FIKS. Those who fancied a ski trip had the opportunity to do that, while the others enjoyed life at the cabin. In addition, I have a lot of good memories from the student bar Tappetårnet as well.
Do you have any advice for future students?
My advice for future students is to try to get to know your fellow students (especially those studying the same as you) and attend the different events hosted by the faculty and SiS. It was from attending these events I gained the majority of friends I still keep in touch with today. In regards to keeping up with the courses at the MA level, I do highly recommend to establish a study group that you can meet up with regularly. During my time as UiS, I’ve learnt that establishing a study group can be very helpful when working with difficult topics. Being consistent with study group meetings where you work together, argue and discuss subject-related issues definitely benefit the learning process. It is also important to stick to the weekly readings and do the various tasks given in. Although it can be tiring in the long run, the work will definitely pay off when the exams come.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Currently, I do not have a lot of free time because of the teacher job and MA thesis writing. However, when I do have free time there are numerous things I enjoy doing. As my MA thesis might imply, I am a huge football fan. I therefore spend a lot of time watching football. I also enjoy playing the sport, and for several years I have played on the student-organised team FIKS. Every student at the FIKS faculty can join the team. If you enjoy playing football, I definitely recommend you to join the team. Moreover, I enjoy spending time with my girlfriend and friends in general. I also like to work out at the gym – and I can definitely recommend SiS Sportssenter, as it is packed with a variety of equipment and they have a very reasonable membership price.
Do you know what you are going to do after you are done with your degree?
I am planning on taking the PPU-course after I complete my MA thesis. When completed, I become eligible to teach at both lower and upper-secondary school level. Since I have a couple of years of teaching under my belt, I aspire to continue with this temporarily. However, I’ve set a goal for myself that I want to use my education in another field sometime in the future. What this exact field will be, I am not completely certain of as yet. Nonetheless, I think it is valuable to challenge oneself to seek new environments and expectations. I thus believe I will be suited for this after completing my studies.
