English is hands down the hardest course

English literature is not an easy degree. Being a second year student means all my coursework counts and believe me, English Literature coursework is the hardest. A lot of people think doing an English degree is easy. Well, it isn’t! Let me explain why.

We read more books than any other course

Of course you need to read for your degree but being an English student means A LOT more reading and there is no bursary card for second and third years which means buying books can be pretty pricey. The amount of books you read depends on the amount of modules you take. So, for example the number of core texts you read can be three to six a week.

Plus there is the recommended reading to do also. Feel like you’ve underrated an English degree yet? Being an English student means before you know it your shelves are filled with books for your course before you’re even halfway through the first term.

They won’t let us study books we actually care about (like Harry Potter)

That’s not all though; how are you supposed to be motivated to do it when the texts you’ve been given aren’t really what you’re interested in at all? Every year the student feedback forms are filled out suggesting that students should have some say in what they read and write about and every year those suggestions are ignored. Why? Do lecturers feel students can’t be trusted making these choices? I personally don’t see anything wrong with analysing and writing essays on harry potter.

We plan, write and analyse more essays than any other degree

First, there’s the choosing a question part of planning the essay. The questions are sent around to the lecturers in the English department and they all agree they are good to write about, yet when it comes to picking one to write your essay about, you hate all them. You would rather fail then answer a question referring to books you didn’t enjoy reading (well, not fail, but still you’re not happy about it).

THE RESEARCH

Then there’s the research. For an English degree you not only have to read the core texts, (in a week I might add!), but also the recommended reading and extra secondary sources as well. That is what makes this degree so unique. You cannot just turn up to a lecture or seminar without having read at least some material for it, otherwise there is just no point in going and you end lagging behind on valid points to include in your assignment.

As an English student you have to find all those secondary sources and just when you think you’ve found enough to just about cram into your word count, your lecture has other ideas – it’s back to the library on your day off looking for more books. Lecturers expect you have a minimum of 15 secondary sources to talk about, whilst still referring to the primary texts as well and making the precise argument AND stick within the word count.

Not even a terms worth of books here

English students are under the most pressure

Why? Because we constantly have to explain why our degree isn’t as easy as others may think and we are constantly working for our degree as well. Then there is the planning and writing. For instance, take spelling and grammar for example. God forbid someone studying an English degree makes a spelling or grammatical error and your lecturer notices it. You will almost definitely be pulled up on it.

Bibliographies

And let’s not forget the bibliography and footnotes. They really are the bane of every student’s life, but most of all for English literature students. There is no shortcut: you have go through the books and look up the page numbers. You try and do it as you go along but give up a couple pages into it and have to do it all at the end. It really is a pain.  And don’t think your lecturers will proof read the work, because they won’t. At the most, they check over a couple of paragraphs, and rip them apart, but won’t help you with the entire essay. Students really are left to their own devices when doing an English degree and you all thought it was easy.

Typing essays… such fun!

The library is your second home

The library becomes your new home the month before the essays are due, especially with the coffee and tea machine installed. Coffee and red bull become your new best friends whilst you’re writing the essays and looking for books.

Your social life as an English student is pretty much non-existent, on account for all the books you have to read and analyse. When an English student gets fed up of buying all the books they resort to just taking them out in the library, even though every other English student is trying to do the same thing! Although reading the hidden gems inside books can be fun, doing English coursework is arguably the worst and the hardest and it will make you miserable. Believe me!