So it’s your first year of college. Not only are you trying to acclimate to this new found experience, but you’re also about to begin your adventure into the academic realm of the English major. How do you successfully navigate the next four years with the least amount of stress and confusion possible? Here are some tips for not only navigating freshmen year and college itself, but for the future course work of the English major life.
The first rule is one of the MOST IMPORTANT as an English major:
DO NOT TAKE TOO MANY ENGLISH CLASSES AT ONCE.
“What do you mean; I’m an English major because I love English?” Do you want to learn about the same thing for 5 hours straight, because trust me it will happen. Plus, depending on the courses you take, you may end up with too much work for the semester. Ever had to write 10 papers all due on the same day? Or read 5 different books in a week? This will be you fate if you take too many English courses at once. Especially if they are all reading or writing intensive courses. My recommendation is to take no more than three a semester and no more than two a day. Look at your class descriptions to make sure the courses aren’t too similar too; no one likes learning the same thing over and over again for hours on end. Space it out, there are plenty of gen-ed courses that you have to get through in your college career.
Pace yourself.
College is going to demand a lot from you. Projects will be assigned at the same time and due at the same time in almost all of your classes. It’s just how the universe works. You end up with 3 tests, two projects, and a paper all due on the same day. The best strategy for this is to pace yourself and learn time management. By delegating time to different things, you have time to produce your best work and also prevent yourself from burning out. It is proven that you can over-study and overwork your brain, which negates all the effort you put in before! So be careful!
Try to befriend or know upperclassmen and older English majors.
Upperclassmen can be a lifesaver in avoiding the English professor “who never gets A’s,” “who’s the hardest essay grader” and whose classes just don’t make sense. If you can find any upperclassmen who can give you advice on professors, then take it. If not go to “ratemyprofessor” and read the review for your professor, so that way you can decide before you take the class. Also use this tip for any gen-eds too. College is supposed to be fun, after all.
Get to know your professors.
Can’t befriend upperclassmen right away? Need help for when you’re placed in your first semester classes and don’t know what to expect? Get to know the professor! A professor that gives your paper an A, another may see as an F. It is important to try and know your professor, so that way you can see what they expect of you and want from the class. If you are still confused, definitely try to meet with your professor. Take initiative for your grade and your class work, and most professors will be willing to help you out and give you opportunities for a good grade! Also, the more you participate and talk to your professor, the more they may remember you, and usually that fares better for recommendations and grades.
Accept your fate... you will become addicted to caffeine.
College is a lot of work. It’s a time of high stress and demanding deadlines for papers and projects. Caffeine addiction is a universal for almost all college students, but even more so for English majors. I mean aren’t we all supposed to be obsessed with tea or something? No, seriously, addiction will happen. You’ll need as much caffeine to read through Paradise Lost or to reread Beowulf for the fifth time.
Utilize all resources available to you.
Especially the writing center.Want to make sure your paper is great? Need help with proofreading? Still lost on what your professor needs. Go to the writing center! There are people there that can help you make the best paper possible. As well, use the tech centers, computer labs, etc. that your school offers. Especially if you need help with formatting issues, making videos, etc. College expects you to use a variety of tools to do work, and if you are confused there are many resources they expect you to use.
Practice, Practice, Practice.
Study as often as you can. Practice as often as you can. It can be simple as writing down some quick thoughts for the day, or complex as spending hours reviewing notes and annotating them. It doesn’t matter how much you do, just practice your writing and reading skills. It will show in your work, and your professors will notice. The easiest practice I would recommend would be to invest in a journal or a blog and just freewrite anything that comes to mind.
Take risks.
Often classes will want you to get out of your comfort zone and explore different aspects of writing and reading. Take it! Write something you normally wouldn’t; in an option of ways to write, take one you’ve never done before! For example, I had never done a film analysis before in my English Comp class, and when I saw it was an option for one of our papers, I took it to try and figure out which writing format I liked best! This will allow you to find your niche, and also to practice and improve in all formats of your writing. Professors like students that take risks and take initiative! So be sure to give it you all and to not shy away from a challenge!
Remember English isn’t just literature and writing.
English is a multidisciplinary field at its core. The skills you learn, analysis and critical thinking can be applied to all aspects of life and study. It’s not just about reading a book and rehashing it into an informative essay. It’s about figuring out complex ideas. It’s about language, art, history, music, and so much more.
Find time for reading and writing.
Almost all English majors complain that college takes away their time to pleasure read and write, and it can often make people wonder why they ever liked doing these activities in the first place. My recommendation is to write small and read small. Find a short book, reread your favorite, and write small poems or stories. Anything that reminds you of a passion for your subject and why you decided to major in English in the first place.
And finally...
Keep your head up.
College is some of the hardest four years of your life, and being an English major doesn’t change that fact. You will often get frustrated and stressed. There will be times you question whether you should change your major or drop out. Keep going! Remind yourself why you are here. Look inside yourself and find what it is that makes you want to major in English. Do you want to teach? Do you love to analyze literature and write papers? Do you love learning about why our language is the way it is? Remind yourself often about it. Reassure yourself that once you get through these four years that they will pay off. Reach out to friends, and find times to relax to keep you going. You’ll get through this!
Follow these tips to try and make your next four or so years the best that you can. College is the hardest times you’ll find, but it’s not impossible nor is supposed to be all bad. College is also some of the best years you’ll have in your life, but only if you challenge yourself to grow and work hard, so that way you can play hard. If you keep up with these tips, than I am sure you will get through the next 4 years swimmingly.
