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weltonreject · 3 months

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what does being an English major entail? I’m trying to be one but I have no idea what the work or anything is going to look like/be like. I don’t know any English majors irl but I thought of you ? If this isn’t too weird. You don’t have to answer this if it’s weird to ask idk if it is. Have a good day bye

hi anon! This isn't a weird question-- I was just trying to figure out how to give a helpful response without rambling. Sorry for the delay!

So my English BA was in sort of in "general" English, meaning that I could take literature, creative writing, and theory classes that all fulfilled the major. My college offered a creative writing minor, but I couldn't use any writing classes toward both my major and my minor, so I minored in something else and just "made" my English degree more writing-focused. Definitely check what any prospective college offers in terms of class requirements or minors to see how you can maybe tailor a "general" English degree to your interests and strengths!

As for the workload, it depended on what type of class! I'm sure there are variations but the overall two types of classes I had were literature/theory and writing:

Literature/theory classes were really reading and discussion based. The syllabus would breakout all the readings-- articles, sections of books, whole plays, essays, chapters of an epic, etc-- and it was up to us (the class) to do create our own reading schedule (personal use, not like, as an assignment or anything) in order to have X read by a certain class with ideas ready to discuss or ask questions! Sometimes professors would ask you bring in discussion questions (which sometimes was annoying because you don't know what someone else is going to ask and sometimes that's when you really start to Get Into a text... but whatever. personal gripe lol). But other than that, there weren't really "assignments" day to day. In terms of exams, they were mostly essays-- my department didn't do blue book essays for english classes (timed essays in person) and did only "submit a 10-page paper on X by DATE" type of things, which meant I had time to massage my schedule as I needed come finals week.

[Side Note: Since most exams are essay based, and you are usually so fried by the end of term (and also writing about three other essays for other classes) I'd always mark page numbers whenever I took notes so I could find my "evidence" for essays a lot easier. I actually still mark page numbers/quotes now when I read recreationally! It's just a nice practice and a way to never lose something I thought was interesting! Just something fun I thought I'd share-- studying practices sometimes carry over to post-grad!]

(Creative) Writing classes are just as you'd imagine! The class would be put on a schedule and 3-4 people would have workshop during class. The other students would submit their 15-20 pages of new work two days before class and we'd all read and take notes (in-line edits but also a one-page summary of feedback) and come to class read to workshop/discuss the piece! Really the only thing that was ever annoying or bothersome about these writing classes was 1. making sure I had an original idea "in time" for my scheduled submission date and/or 2. how workshop was run; sometimes professors run them in a way that is boring/unhelpful/very cookie-cutter and not dependent on the writer or their work or what they hope to get out of it. Although, I say that now as someone who is a WAY different writer than I was as a freshman so. Perhaps 19 year-old me very much deserved the cookie-cutter process... Overall, still sort of a "reading schedule" class, but with less ability to read ahead, and working a different part of your "analysis" brain than reading finished, published works!

Being an English major was a lot of the same type of work in mass quantities-- which sometimes was great and other times made my brain Mush. I also had a very reading-focused minor so that's on me too... But, overall, no matter what class combination, there was always a rhythm I could find with all the different readings and writings and essays.

Being an English major was one of the best things I did at school, to be quite honest. I know that sounds a bit... canned, maybe? But I'm being very genuine. I can't imagine having studying anything else. There are so many different avenues and focuses and minors to drill down into, I never felt like I was bored in any class.

ALSO English departments are filled with so many different types of "English Majors!" The writers, the readers, the essayists, the analytic researcher-- you don't have to be all Dark Academia or Super Creative Poet to study English! As long as you bring sincerity and enthusiasm, you'll find great professors and mentors that can further expand what you can "do" with(in) an English degree!!

If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask!! I know I'm not the End All Be All on what it means to study English, but if there's anything I can tell you to give you a Boots On The Ground idea of the day-to-day, I would be more than happy to!

Have a great day! xo

#:))) i love talking about being an english major are you kiddingggg #i loved it so much i loved undergrad #asks #*#English BA office hours #new tag so anon (and anyone else) can find answers for these things!!

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philipbhunt · 4 months

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Just Do It

Nov 26, 2023

Blog Post #1

Hello and welcome to my first ever blog post.

Yes, that’s right. This is my first ever blog post and you're in from the very start. 😉 Thank you and well done for finding me. You see, as this is my first attempt, I've just published online without sending to an email list, mentioning it to family and friends or promoting it on any of my social media platforms. So, for you to have found me really is some feat! 👏

Now that you are here, I hope not to disappoint. In fact, I hope the content in this, and future posts will keep you engaged and entertained for many months to come.

Why am I doing this?

Well, I think it boils down to the following three reasons:

1. The Urge.

I was originally drawn to posting on social media towards the end of 2010. Back then it was mainly Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. I set up accounts with all three platforms, both personal and business, but work kept me busy, and I never fully engaged with it. Around the same time, I read an article about a guy who had bought Bitcoin (I'm not sure, but I think he accepted the Bitcoin in exchange for a pizza) and now he was sitting on a small fortune. I remember speaking to my partner and suggesting we should consider taking a punt and make a small investment in this (at the time) little-known cryptocurrency. You guessed it - We never did! There’s a lot to be said for following your gut instinct.

2. Additional Income

Yes, it would be nice to generate an income along the way. You see, I have two adult children from my first marriage and a six year old daughter with my new partner. The financial implications of a divorce, a new mortgage and raising a family have all put my retirement planning on the back burner. I’m not sure when or if I will retire. I keep telling myself retirement is overrated. I do enjoy my work and the people I meet. I wouldn’t complain about continuing in my ‘day’ job, but life has a way of throwing things at you that can turn your life upside down at the drop of a hat. Any support along the way either by subscribing, clicking on my affiliate links or simply buying me a coffee would be very welcome. ☕

3. For Family

I’m 55 years of age and my youngest daughter is six. My parents were 20 years old when I was born. I’ve had 55 years of memories, advice and support from them and hopefully they’ll be many more years to come. I would be kidding myself if I thought my daughter and I would enjoy the same amount of time. I will be doing my best to stay around for as long as I can (I suppose that’s one of the reasons for listening to the book, Outlive by Peter Attia). I’m hoping this blog will provide an insight into who I am, my thoughts, my feelings, my life experiences and events along with a little bit of advice, wisdom and fun thrown into the mix. This isn’t just for my youngest daughter, but for my older children, my family and for you.

Why Now?

Back in September I took up an offer from Audible and since then I’ve bought three books:

Atomic Habits by James Clear - I enjoyed this book immensely. It emphasis’s how small consistent efforts over time can make a significant different.

Outlive by Peter Attia MD - I’ve been following Peter Attia online for some time now and was keen to read his book on longevity.

The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss. - This book always seems to pop up as a recommendation or mentioned in some podcast or internet search. I was therefore keen to find out what all the fuss was about.

I like reading and there is something comforting in picking up a book and flicking through the pages. Unfortunately, finding the time to sit down and read a few pages is easier said than done. This is where Audible came to the rescue. I can now download books and listen wherever and whenever I want. I listen when I’m driving, working at my desk or doing the washing up. I also like to listen when I go to bed, and the sleep function helps to find the point at which I fell asleep (which is usually within the first five minutes). 😂

More on the books and what I’ve learnt from them in future issues. However, before I made my decision on which books to buy, I had a look on YouTube to see if I could find any recommendations and reviews on what to buy. During my browsing I stumbled across Ali Abdaal’s YouTube channel and his Book Club videos. I listened to his reviews on Atomic Habits and The 4-Hour Work Week. I also watched his review on Someday is Today. A book by Matthew Dicks based around time management and productivity.

The book has several suggestions but these three in particular struck a chord with me:

The Parking Lot Practice - The emphasis here is that there rarely is the right environment and the perfect time to do what you want to do. He uses the example of been early for a dentist appointment; Rather than just sitting in his car in the parking lot killing time scrolling through his phone he used the time to continue working on his novel. He talks about how the soldiers managed to write letters and diaries in the trenches during the war. If you are waiting for the perfect time, the perfect place, the right environment then, at best you will have delayed starting, but at worst, it probably will never happen.

The 100 Year Old Plan - This is based on imagining you could ask your 100 year old self for advice. It’s a great way to think and consider, not just the immediate effect of your actions, but the longer lasting effect and to consider what really matters. Are you making the best use of your time right now or could it be better spent doing something more rewarding and fulfilling?

The Purposeful Approach - This is about getting things done that need to be done as quickly and efficiently as possible to allow yourselves the time to do the things that are most important to you. The things that truly matter, the things that are the most meaningful, satisfying and fulfilling.

It was whilst watching this video that it dawned on me how it was now 13 years since I first started thinking of writing a blog. I therefore decided I was going to start. I said to myself “I will start publishing in the New Year on Monday, 1st January 2024”. It seemed like a good date to start. I then realised I was still putting it off. Doing exactly what the books had specifically told me not to do. I therefore decided to bring the date forward to Friday, 1st December 2023. Although the newsletter was written, it seemed like a nice date to start, plus it would give me extra time to add more content, include images, add a few extra links and in general, perfect the publication. It wasn’t until this morning whilst walking my dog that I realised, I was still putting it off. I was still making excuses. I’d written the post, why was I waiting? Just Do It.

So here goes, I could have spent longer designing then redesigning, editing text after text after text or searching for image after image and I’m 100% certain there are plenty of other things I could and should have done. My blog will improve over time but for now, I’m sat writing these last few lines with a smile on my face knowing that Someday is Today and my online blog is up and running. 🎉

If you’ve got this far, then I hope some of what I have written will resonate with you too. Maybe there is something you have always wanted to do, a place to visit, a hobby to start, a phone call to make or an old friend to visit. Are you waiting for the perfect time? I’m not sure when the perfect time will be, but I do know that the best time is now - As the sports company slogan goes - Just Do It.

Until next time,

Phil

#Fulfilment #Family

#family #fulfilment #blog #blogging #blogger #productivity #self improvement

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