A personal highlight this week was the news that our UG Recruitment is very healthy and on an upward curve. The growth in application numbers since 2021-22 is simply impressive and in the region of 30%. This is a testament to the growing attractiveness of Classics as a subject nationally and RHUL Classics in particular. But here at Royal Holloway, this is the result of a team endeavour: our reputation as a friendly, caring, supportive Department, a community of scholars passionate for Classics, is growing steadily. And our students, past and present, alumni and current undergraduates and postgraduates are our best ambassadors. One of our Student Ambassadors at our most recent Applicant Visit Day, Lilly, remembers being encouraged to come to Royal Holloway by her Classics teacher, an alumna of RHUL Classics! I am sure that others have similar stories to tell.

After this upbeat prologue, let me proceed to this week’s news:

• National Student Survey: Attention - Finalists
• Undergraduate Survey: Attention 2^nd years
• Library: New Book Request Page
• Classics Society Symposium: Save the Date
• Promoting RHUL Classics on our Instagram

National Student Survey: Attention- Finalists – Prize Draw

Our Finalists will have received emails from IPSOS-MORI inviting them to fill in the National Student Survey (NSS) . Some of your tutors will have already encouraged you to fill it in during your lectures/seminars this week. If you haven’t yet filled it in, could I ask you to do so as soon as you can. This survey is very important to us as a Department and to the College and we value your responses very much! Thank you!

Prize Draw: Once you have completed your survey, you can enter our prize draw to win one of our many prizes, including Summer Ball tickets, Everyman cinema tickets, supermarket vouchers, and much more!

To enter, simply fill in this form with your Student ID number before 2pm on Friday 9 February. We will be announcing winners on Instagram @RHCampusLife between Monday 22 January and Friday 9 February 2024.

• Undergraduate Survey: Attention 2^nd years

Parallel to the NSS, the College is running the Undergraduate Survey that current 2^nd years are invited to complete. This is meant to help us identify any issues ahead of their 3^rd/final year. So if you have received an email about this UGS, don’t ignore it- please fill in that survey.

Library: New Book Request Page  

Please note that The library has rebranded the book request system/page: If you believe you need a book that is not currently available in the library (and is not available through Senate House library) please use the following page:  https://intranet.royalholloway.ac.uk/students/campus-life/the-library/services/get-it-for-me.aspx

Classics Society Symposium: Save the Date

Our wonderful Classics Society has now announced a date for the second Symposium of this academic year. On 27 March 2024 staff and students will come together to think about “Living Conditions” in the Ancient World. Save the date- more details to follow.

Promoting RHUL Classics on our Instagram  

I have been really encouraged by our Classics community’s response to our new Instagram Page, so I would like to work with students across the different levels (UG to PhD) to promote the Department. I would like to record short, informal videos with current UG/PGT students (to start with) and I will be asking them two questions: 1) Why did you choose RHUL Classics? 2) What is a highlight of your RHUL experience so far? If you would like to participate, please drop me a line: Christos.Kremmydas@rhul.ac.uk and I will set aside one slot in each week when I will be recording the videos either indoors or outdoors in locations around campus (weather permitting). I look forward to hearing from you. And please promote our RHUL Classics Instagram page, if you can.

With my best wishes for a relaxing weekend,