Mark Aldridge BA Film and English, MA and PhD Film Studies

Hi, I'm Mark Aldridge and I studied BA Film and English, MA and PhD Film Studies within Humanities at the University of Southampton.

The support offered by the university stood me in good stead for my career following my studies. Since leaving I have delivered papers at several international conferences and published two books.

Starting a PhD can be a daunting prospect, which makes it all the more important that there is a good network of support throughout your period of study. I chose to study at Southampton because I knew that the department would be able to offer this, as I had also studied for my masters degree here.

It's not just the case that the staff are always happy to be available for consultation and advice, but there's a concerted effort at Southampton to ensure that those studying for research degrees in film studies don't feel isolated despite the necessarily individual nature of each project. During my time regular informal meetings were arranged so that PhD students can get to know each other, and there are plenty of opportunities for further socialising at licensed premises!

Combined with easy access to important facilities such as the British Film Institute just a short train ride away, not to mention the University's own library and forthcoming film postgraduate resources room and you have an excellent place to study.

The support offered by the University stood me in good stead for my career following my studies. Since leaving I have delivered papers at several international conferences and published two books. The first of these, T is for Television: The Small Screen Adventures of Russell T Davies (with Andy Murray) explored a new area for me, but my second was an adaptation of my PhD thesis entitled The Birth of British Television . Once I completed my studies I immediately started working full time as a lecturer in film and television studies at another university, drawing on the knowledge and experiences gained during my time with the department at Southampton.