Uni Life

10 Things You’ll Only Understand If You’re An English Lit Major

What you’ll hear every time when you say you’re an English Lit major is ‘so all you do is read books?’. It’s so much more in-depth than that, there’s a lot of work involved, and the payoff is great. Here’s a list of things only English Lit majors will truly understand:

1. You won’t read all the books assigned to you

You’re going to be assigned a lot of books. And I mean, a lot. You’ll never be able to read them all, even if you want to. Sure, you may feel a little lost in tutorials and lectures if they’re talking about a specific book, but Wikipedia is your best friend and will give you the main outline of the plot. Just make sure to take a lot of notes during the lectures!

2. Buying books which look pretty are not easy to reference

There are some gorgeous books out there: hardcovered, embossed, 2nd or 3rd editions. You want to buy them because they look so pretty and they’re part of your course but trying to find a way to reference them in your essay is a lot harder when there’s a lack of specification in the front pages.

3. Books with an introduction are a Godsend

Penguin Classics are great because of their introductions. They’re incredibly detailed and they are a great inspiration for essay writing. Reading the book is important, obviously, but the introduction to a book makes interpretation of the text a lot easier.

4. You’ll find meaning in things that seem insignificant

The classic example of this is ‘the curtains are red’. Doesn’t mean anything, right? But as you’re reading different books and trying to find good quotes to use in your essays, things that don’t seem to mean much are suddenly super important.

5. You’ll end up linking literature which have nothing in common

Being assigned essay questions can lead you to taking two pieces of work and finding a way to compare and contrast them, even if it’s something as obscure as a poem Gothic and Victorian and a whole novel set in the modern day and realistic. There’s always a way to find a connection.

6. Trying to find secondary sources is a bitch

There’s no light way of putting it, trying to find secondary sources to back up your argument is so annoying. You think you have the perfect essay all planned out and then you need to find something to support it. So frustrating!

7. You’ll have to read literature you really don’t enjoy

To try and get through this course, there’s going to be modules where you have to plough through books where you really don’t enjoy them; lecturers will constantly make reference to them and make really interesting points and you’ll regret not having read it.

See Also

8. Reading for pleasure doesn’t exist anymore

When you’re churning through over eight books in the span of three months, picking up a book that’s not part of the reading list and getting absorbed in it isn’t really an option. When you do get time to read for pleasure, you start to pick out interesting quotes or sentences, and you itch to highlight them. You get conditioned pretty quickly to always be looking for usable essay material!

9. Shakespeare will haunt you

You thought you escaped Shakespeare when you left high school but nope, you’re going to have to study his plays in university too, going even more in depth. Hope you liked Romeo and Juliet!

10. There’s a lot more than just reading involved

What people who have never studied literature before will not understand is that it isn’t just about reading. There are loads of different subjects thrown in here: understanding history, philosophy, and sociology is incredibly important to understanding texts. You have to research not only the context of the work but also the author themselves. You gain a wide range of knowledge and skills from doing this. This is something any English lit major can relate to.

Are you an English lit major? Do you relate to any of these things as an English lit major? Tell us in the comments!
Featured Image Source: https://www.purewow.com/books/how-to-read-a-book-a-month
Lauren Jones

Recent Posts

12 Amazing London Food Bloggers Killing It On Insta

Keeping up on trends is important, especially foodie trends as there is always some new and delicious dish or dessert…

2 hours ago

10 Times Piers Morgan Was A D**k On Good Morning Britain

Piers Morgan is known for his controversial remarks and his dogged insistence that he is rarely ever wrong. From insisting…

4 hours ago

How To Naturally Lighten Hair Without Any Chemicals

Looking into how to naturally lighten hair? If you are in need of methods to lighten your hair, but refuse…

6 hours ago

5 Essential Cosmetic Products That Every Man Needs In 2019

Okay, so it’s 2019 and there is no need to be ashamed if men want to spend time grooming themselves.…

8 hours ago

8 Fashion Trends For Men In 2019

With a brand new year comes a brand new style and this year we can expect staple pieces from rugged…

10 hours ago

10 Winter Makeup Looks Perfect For Any Holiday Party

Warm tones, deep lips, and lots of glimmer come with winter makeup looks. With it being holiday party season, you…

12 hours ago