How to spot a Leeds English Lit student

She’ll have french plaits


Arts students, particularly English Literature students, are always talked about (well, bitched about) by the other subjects. Maybe it’s because they’re always bragging about never being in uni, or that their degree is so much harder than anyone else’s (because, duh, have you seen how much reading they have to do??). So, we put together a handy guide of how to spot an Arts student around campus, just so you know who to avoid when you really don’t want to be talking about ancient novels from 200 years ago.

They’ll be pretty well groomed

Arts students: easily recognisable by their perfectly groomed outfits and the air of superiority they carry that inevitably comes with this. Denim skirts, bodysuits, and chunky boots, or high waisted jeans, crop tops, and oversized checked shirts; the blueprint for your typical English student. When you only have seven contact hours a week, you don’t have to worry about being comfortable. Or cold.

You’ll find them in the gym

At the gym, always. Why do you think they built the gym right next to the English lecture halls? Or you might see them on one of their many EngSoc fancy-dress pub crawls, dressed as some obscure literary character from the 1800s. What else are you supposed to do when you’re at uni, but never actually in uni?

They’ll have french plaits or a top-knot

It’s either cut in a short edgy bob, or it’s long enough to make even Rapunzel jealous. But whatever length it is, it will almost definitely be in french plaits, or an edgy top knot bun. One bun is normally enough, but every so often someone likes to channel their inner Princess Leia and go for two.

What they’ll be saying

“Do you want fries with that?”

They’ll wear loads of obscure ‘vintage’ brands

Adidas. Possibly Doc Martens, but only ever the low versions. Or something that’s described as “vintage”, but you know it’s just some get-up from the 70s that they found at the back of their mum’s closet.

The classic boot version works too, as long as you’ve got a quirky pattern to stop it being too mainstream

They’ll always be holding a Starbucks latte

A Pumpkin Spiced Latte from Starbucks and an iPhone 6S Plus in Rose Gold – probably. Or, if you’re lucky enough to spot them on their way to an actual lecture, they’ll probably be struggling with a pile of outdated classic novels that they’ll tell everyone they’ve read and “just loved so much” when really they just watched the film. Or looked up the summary on Sparknotes.