Tag Archives: english major

Writer’s Block and Other Mysteries of the Human Psyche

Posted on by
Reply

Sometimes, we anticipate what’s going to happen in our lives, and yet, it often doesn’t end up work out the way we had planned. Not only is this true in life, but also in writing. Sometimes you start out writing an essay with a clear thesis or point in mind, but then, when you actually start writing, you find that you are pulled in a different direction. I find this to be very true and have figured out some ways to make it work in my favor, instead of against me.  

Just recently I wrote a paper for my history class where I intended to focus on the rhetoric used in historical documents from the suffrage movement. Once I started writing, I realized that my thoughts were creating a trail that moved away from this idea of rhetoric and instead, I found that I was focusing on the way that men were being depicted in these suffrage ads. At first, I was frustrated by this. I thought to myself, “I have a clear topic in mind. Why can’t I just stick with it?” Although this might be easier in retrospect, sometimes, a new topic reveals itself to you once you are actually writing. Here are my tips and comments on how you can keep yourself on topic, even if it means changing your topic.

When you get on a roll, you feel like you have magic fingers and the words just flow directly from your brain onto the page. Let this happen. Even if what you think you’re writing is complete gibberish, you will likely spit something out that you can end up using, or maybe bring up something new that can be used for a different topic.

On the other hand, sometimes, it feels like you can’t write a single word, even if your life depended on it. This is okay too. It happens to everyone at some point in their academic career.

Sometimes the best way to get around this issue is to write whatever pops into your head. Similar to the advice above, eventually, something will grab your attention, and you can pursue something there. Oftentimes, we get so bogged down with ideas we think we need to be writing about that we can’t let our minds be creative. But, just getting some ideas down will help to get your brain thinking about potential topics and move past the feeling of pressure you might have to stay on a particular topic.

If you don’t have to write about something extremely specific, think about the texts you’ve read in class. What’s intrigued you most about your discussions? What sort of questions has your professor flagged? What questions or comments have you been bringing to the table? This will help get your mind thinking about the key ideas your professor is likely to put into an essay prompt and will also get you thinking about the things you’re interested in, which also make the best topics.

Even if your topic seems restrictive, there is always wiggle room, so celebrate the fact that you’re not tied down to one topic, literally or figuratively.

Don’t worry. You got this!

 

Declared!

Posted on by
Reply

For awhile now, one item has stayed a constant on my to-do list: “declare major.”

Ever since I can remember (so apparently since I first learned what college was, how majors worked, and what options there were for majors), I have wanted to major in English. For awhile in high school, I’d go through my “double major phases.” For instance, after I got back from studying abroad in France, I was definitely going to double major in English and French. And then I went through an American history phase, and I wanted to double major in English and History. And then English and American Studies. And then English and Religious Studies. ..You can probably continue the pattern yourself.

When I actually got to Scripps last year and started fulfilling my general requirements, I realized that the one constant in my academic life has been my desire to be an English major and that I’m not really equally passionate about one other subject enough to double major in anything. Once I had this realization, I have been quite content with my decision to have one major, and to have it be English. (I’m apparently the exception to the general rule that you will change your intended major before you graduate.)

Since this decision was firmly made, in my head at least, I decided that I might as well declare now rather than later and just get that paperwork out of the way.

Last week, I finally filled in my forms, talking to my British Literature professor Matz to request him to be my advisor, and turned all into the Registrar’s Office, which as far as I can tell means I’m officially an English major.

One decision I made while looking over the requirements for the major again is to pursue the Honors program. I do like challenging myself, but I mainly want to try for Honors because it is recommended for those students interested in going to graduate school, which I think is a definite possibility for me. I kind of see it as a “why not?” option; I’m only majoring in one subject, with no minor, so I do have the time to devote to my English studies. I talked it over with my advisor, and he does think it is a strong possibility for me.

Although one’s major often has nothing to do with their future career, whether intentionally or accidentally, for me it is very much the first step towards my life after school.

My love for English has a direct correlation to the careers I’m interested in, because those careers are basically defined as anything that has to do with literature (book criticism, publishing, anything that involved writing, etc.). I see my major as a way of building a solid foundation for my future internships and jobs, while also having the option of electives so that I can concentrate a bit more in the specific areas I’m interested in. This major can supplement that “self-education” I spoke about in one my earlier posts (or vice versa, I suppose: my self-education supplementing my major)—for instance, how could one successfully judge a book through a review without a basic knowledge of literary history, “classics,” and other writers?