The Lecturer As a Student: Chelsey Flood

What did you study, where, and why?

I studied English Literature and Media Studies here at Falmouth University, though it was known as Falmouth College of Arts then.

Did you change at university, and if so, how?

I changed so much that I got personality whiplash. I’d grown up in a small working-class city in the Midlands so I’d never been to a beach party before. But as soon as I saw Falmouth I fell in love with the sea. I learned to surf and discovered great literature. University completely changed me. I learned about class and oppression and feminism. And I started to want to be a writer.

Which book changed the way you viewed the world or yourself? 

Reading Jane Eyre for the first time (in Ruth’s class, I think) was a revelation. I realized that I was a Victorian, and yet somehow alive in 2001, and it explained a lot. The book felt like home to me, and I discovered a passion for the Brontë sisters’ writing that has never left me. Also, Germaine Greer’s The Female Eunuch gave me the language to talk about my experiences in a way I hadn’t had access to before. Reading feminist works like hers helped me to understand why I was so resentful so much of the time, and I started writing passionate essays that really helped me channel my anger, and build some solid arguments for the pub.

What was the soundtrack of your Falmouth years?

Jack Johnson was everywhere, like the soundtrack to Falmouth: ‘slow down everyone you’re moving too fast…’ And Ben Harper. Beach music!

If you could meet your 18 year-old self, what would you say to them?

It’s okay to be quiet. And you don’t have to like parties to have a wonderful social life. Be careful of relying on booze too much. If you can learn to tolerate social awkwardness without turning to it, your life will open up. Also, push yourself to contribute in seminars more! What you have to say is interesting. The fact that you come from a less academic background means you have quite refreshing opinions. So practice having the courage to articulate your thoughts out loud more.

I would also explain that personality traits are not fixed. That courage is something you can build, like a muscle. That every day, you get a new chance to practice. That this is what the new days are for.

Chelsey Flood

Chelsey Flood is the author of Infinite Sky and Nightwanderers, as well as a lecturer in English and Creative Writing. She runs Beautiful Hangover, a publication about getting sober at Medium.