What they wish they knew then
Ten tips from Miami seniors to first-year English majors
By Allison Stevens
The panelists
Allison Begezda
Hometown: Poland, Ohio
A senior English literature major, Begezda has made sure she’s involved in campus activities. She is a member of the Phi Sigma Pi National Honors Fraternity, the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority, is Vice-President of the Microbiology club and the Philanthropy Chair of the Pre-Dental club. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling and photography.
Channing Hubbard
Hometown: Granville, Ohio
A senior English literature major, Hubbard is also the editor of Recensio (Miami’s yearbook) and has been published in the Collegiate Scholar, the textbook all Miami first-year students use in their required English seminar classes. She has also written for the Miami Quarterly and interned at several local magazines in Columbus during the summer of 2008. She is passionate about traveling, movies, reading, music and photography and pursues all of these interests in her spare time.
Bobby Goodwin
Hometown: Maineville, Ohio
Goodwin is a senior journalism and English literature major, but that wasn’t enough for him. He’s also pursuing a minor in art history, is the editor-in-chief of the Miami Quarterly campus magazine and the assistant editor of the Miami Student’s Amusement. Goodwin also is involved in Sigma Tau Delta, the Society of Professional Journalists and the Art and Architectural History Association.
Michelle Mattern
Hometown: Sandusky, Ohio
A senior English literature and creative writing double major, Mattern is also the president of Sigma Tau Delta, the English honorary society.
So you’re about to take the plunge—come to Miami in the fall and major in English. When you walk onto campus for orientation you’ll be bombarded with heaps of new experiences and information: a roommate, a dorm room, dining hall food, college courses, and more. The last thing on your mind will be figuring out how to make the most of your major right away.
Oscar Wilde once said, “The only thing to do with good advice is pass it on. It is never any use to oneself.” We’ve taken his advice and decided to pass ours to you. Below are 10 tips from senior English majors to you new students—what they wish they knew as first years, how to get the most out of your classes, and why they love English so much. With all the research they’ve done for you, acing English 111 will be no problem now, right?
Tip #1: Don’t second-guess your decision. If you’re passionate about literature and writing, you picked the right major. Don’t pick a major because there’s a clear-cut job at the end of it—the people who tell you there are no careers for English majors are wrong anyway. See tip #2.
Words of Wisdom…
“Major in what you love. The rest will work out. Life is entirely too short to major in things you don’t like for the money. Don’t do it.”
—Bobby Goodwin, senior English literature and journalism double major
“If it’s something you’re passionate about and you love, do it. Don’t just pick a major because it’ll get you a job. Stick to your guns and you’ll do fine…and be happy.”
—Channing Hubbard, senior English literature major
Tip #2: Take English 321, The Literary Marketplace as soon as you can. This class will open your eyes to the great career opportunities out there for English majors.
Words of Wisdom…
“I really didn’t know anything about options in the wide world of publishing until this semester (my last one!). Taking ENG 321: The Literary Marketplace as soon as possible in your collegiate career could open up a wealth of possibilities that you never knew you had. The same goes for library science: with the rapid growth of information technology, the options for librarians in the public sector, in academia and in fields such as medical and law librarianship keep growing and growing. Don’t believe in the idea that English majors are limited in their career choices. It’s exactly the opposite!”
—Michelle Mattern, senior English literature and creative writing double major
Tip #3: Get to know your professors. Go to their office hours. Ask them questions about themselves and their lives, not just how you can improve your final paper. You might just learn that they’re fascinating people.
Words of Wisdom…
“One the saddest things I think I’ve heard is that some people have not once been to a professor’s office hours! Go. You don’t have to walk in with a question or have a purpose, exactly. Some of the best discussions I’ve had have begun with the simple question, “What did you do when you graduated college?” You’d be surprised at some of their answers (ask Dr. Hurley what she did if you ever get the chance!).”
—Mattern
“Try to get to know the professors… don’t just show up to class to get your ‘paycheck.’ Open up the dialogue. I’ve learned more from meeting with and e-mailing professors than actually going to class…
—Jeff Goins, English creative writing major
“Make an effort to go to office hours and make relationships with your professors. It’s good to get to know them not just for recommendation letters but because they give great advice and are interesting people.”
—Allison Begezda, senior English literature major
Tip #4: Always read the assigned novels. Yeah, in high school it was probably easy to get an A in Honors English, even if you barely read the SparkNotes of Oliver Twist. But now you’re an English major. You’re doing this because you like reading. You can only truly develop your analytical skills by putting in the work. You’ll be glad you did.
Tip #5: Get involved in class discussions. Senior English majors agree that Miami’s English classes are respectful, accepting environments. You never have to be embarrassed or afraid to speak your mind. Asking questions and engaging with other learners will not only enrich your learning experience, but also make it fun.
Words of Wisdom…
“I was really intimidated coming in and didn’t know as much as people in my classes, so I was really hesitant to speak up in class. Know it’s ok to speak up in class, that everyone is there to support you and are really respectful of one another! Engaging in class, being confident and putting yourself out there, you can have some really great discussions.”
—Hubbard
Tip #6: Always, always, always go to class. If you don’t, tips #4 and #5 are totally useless.
Words of Wisdom…
“New English majors can make the most of their experiences by actually reading the books, going to class, and participating. You only get as much out of your major as you put into it. I mean, you’re only here for four years, you should go to every class ever.”
—Goodwin
Tip #7: Take advantage of the Literary London or Royal Holloway study abroad programs. England is a fascinating place to study. Experiencing how life works in other countries for a summer, a semester or more is what seniors who have done so say they’ve loved the most at Miami. Those who didn’t say they regret it.
Words of Wisdom…
“Studying abroad is the best thing I did while I was here. It broadens your horizons and you realize that you can travel the world and meet all types of people. It also complements what you learn in the classroom. In Oxford, where the community is small, you can get caught in your own way of doing things, so this helps to see something different.”
—Hubbard on Miami’s Luxembourg campus
“I wish I’d found a way to study abroad in London, either in the Literary London program or the Semester/Year at Royal Holloway program. I had several factors that held me back, and I’ll always be sorry I didn’t have that experience.”
—Mattern
Tip #8: Go to the speakers the English department sponsors. From Miami English alumni that discuss what they’re doing with their degrees to scholarly and creative writers, the Miami English Department offers a wide range of special seminars that can really enrich your learning experience. Take advantage of the free knowledge while you can.
Words of Wisdom…
“When else in your life can you be exposed to so much culture, so often, at no additional cost? Maybe this is the reason I plan to stay in college…well…forever!”
—Mattern, who is attending the University of Virginia’s master’s program next fall and hopes to become an English professor
Tip #9: Plan your schedule out well and in advance so you can graduate on time and still take random classes you’re interested in. Your time at Miami will fly by—make sure you’re making the most out of your schedule. Take classes you think you’ll like in every discipline: it makes the Miami Plan fun, not annoying.
Tip #10: Remember that you are learning skills you can apply to any job. Reading, writing and, most importantly, knowing how to think analytically never go out of style. Neither do verbal communication skills or working well in groups. A broad liberal arts education is important and you’re getting it.
Words of Wisdom…
“In addition to honing your close reading skills and your writing skills, an English major cultivates the ability to think critically that is beneficial far beyond a five-page paper on Henry James. This is why so many English majors go to law school and find jobs in the business world. So I guess my answer is, if you want to learn how to think, you should major in English.”
—Mattern
“No matter what you do in America, you have to be able to write. If you don’t, you look like such an amateur. I’ve seen various professionals who write and don’t use punctuation or their grammar is abysmal and they look like uneducated boobs! If you have a good command of the English language, you look educated no matter what your career.”
—Goins, who has come back to Miami to earn his degree after working in IT for 15 years