For all my other English majors out there, we all knew what we were getting into before we signed up for doing what we love. However, that does not mean that we struggle with doing it. Between the reading, the writing, and for those of you who are also journalism majors, the deadlines, sometimes we have to just put the books away, close that word document, and take a break before we lose our minds. Here are some things that every English major struggles with.
10. Deadlines
Probably one of the most stressful things I have ever had to deal with, because not only are articles due within a short period of time but if you miss your deadline... Let's just say you are in big trouble. I love my journalism class this year because it has the feels of being in a newsroom, where our assignments are due within a week at a certain time. While yes it is stressful, it is also helpful as it is what I am going to have to deal with in the real world. So all these grey hairs are worth it for the real life experience... I hope.
9. Papers
This is the most accurate representation of what my folders look like. While everyone is complaining about having tests, we are complaining about writing papers, on papers, on papers. I never thought I could get so sick of writing, but here I am taking three English classes, writing papers or articles at least once, and often twice a week. At least I won't have any finals though...
8. Reading
I love reading, I am an active reader. However, I have never had to purchase so many books at once in my entire life, and read them so quickly. Reading for pleasure and reading for class are completely different stories, and keeping up while reading 4 books at once has proven to be difficult... My Stephen King books are going to have to sit on my shelf until next semester, maybe even next year.
7. Grading
Having different teachers for the different classes I am in is a struggle. You can have one teacher that likes your writing, or you can have one teacher that dislikes your writing. Or best case scenario, you're a literary genius and all teachers like your writing. Unfortunately, for me, the latter is never true and I find myself doing extremely well in one class and not so well in another class. On top of that, I find myself switching writing styles in order to please one teacher's notes that may contradict another one of my teacher's notes. It makes for a very confusing time when writing.
6. Research
Well, aren't research papers just the worst?! Good thing we have to write them more often than not... Why must our imaginations be confined, I did not sign up for research. But I guess we can't get anywhere with our major without knowing exactly what we are writing about.
5. Citations
MLA citations, although not extremely difficult, are tedious and annoying. Especially when you have to cite five pieces of work for one paper. Making sure they are in alphabetical order, having the hanging indent... I am pretty sure that the format is etched in my brain somewhere. Even though MLA is annoying, it is necessary because you do not want that fat zero for plagiarism, oh yeah and the possibility of expulsion.
4. Interviews
While interviews can be very fun, they are also very nerve-wracking. Not only do you have to find people to interview to back up what you are trying to write about, but you then have to meet with them, ask them thoughtful and helpful questions, and hope that you don't mess up. Interviews do however help you go out of your comfort zone, and you can meet some very interesting people.
3. Plagiarism
The biggest no no in English. And also in any other writing piece for whatever class you may have. But we all have dealt with that moment of panic when your teacher makes you turn it in on some website where it calculates how much you plagiarized. And although you know that you wrote it on your own, you still wait for the results. And more often than not the website always says you plagiarized because it doesn't account for you citing the quotes that you used. Talk about something that gives English majors stress sweats.
2. Time
No matter how early in advance you start a piece there never seems to be enough time in the world to finish it. When I have long papers that are due, like six pages, for example, I have been told to think of it as two three-page papers, or better yet six one-page papers. But that makes it worse! You just have to go paragraph by paragraph and hope that what you are writing makes sense. Even if you have to BS the paper a little bit, some teachers like that. Whatever gets you to that deadline!
1. Other Classes
While we may consider ourselves proficient in areas where others are not, like writing papers, and having a broader vocabulary, maybe even being pretty good at editing, there are areas where we have difficulties. I, for example, have not taken a math class in two years. All math is a foreign language to me. I am currently taking biology for one of my electives and I cannot recall how many times I have used the "I'm a journalism/English major" excuse.
Whoever said that the liberal arts college is easy needs to check themselves. I have never been more stressed. That being said, I have never been more in love with my academics. To all those English majors out there, keep on writing and reading! Because although we hate it, we love it!
