{"id":12361,"date":"2020-03-17T17:45:46","date_gmt":"2020-03-17T17:45:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/2020\/03\/17\/english-literature-crash-course\/"},"modified":"2021-09-15T15:02:51","modified_gmt":"2021-09-15T15:02:51","slug":"english-literature-crash-course-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/cy\/english-literature-crash-course-2\/","title":{"rendered":"English Literature Crash Course"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Often English Literature is perceived as a course where you simply read, consider the way that the colour of curtains reflects the mood of the author and essentially pull out 2000 words from nothing. This perception could not be more wrong. Currently studying English Literature&nbsp;at Cardiff University, I can tell you that it&nbsp;is a hard but rewarding course.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2020\/11\/books-1245690_1920-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2020\/11\/books-1245690_1920-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2020\/11\/books-1245690_1920-507x338.jpg 507w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2020\/11\/books-1245690_1920-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2020\/11\/books-1245690_1920-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2020\/11\/books-1245690_1920-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2020\/11\/books-1245690_1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here is a crash course of how to stay on top of your English Literature degree:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Primary Texts&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lots of people say don\u2019t bother reading your primary texts until you get to university, you may swap modules or even degrees. I disagree. If you do not read the texts before you get to university the chances are that you will not read them at all.&nbsp;Second year counts towards your final degree grade and I have to say, if you haven\u2019t read the texts you are meant to be studying \u2026&nbsp;you\u2019re&nbsp;going to struggle. Do I say this from experience? Yes. I currently have 12 books to read within a month and I have to say I&nbsp;am&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">S&nbsp; T&nbsp; R&nbsp; U&nbsp; G&nbsp;&nbsp;G&nbsp; L&nbsp; I&nbsp; N&nbsp; G&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Is this reading possible, on top of lecture material, secondary readings, and essays? No. Read the books before you start Uni. It gives you a lot&nbsp;more free&nbsp;time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where to do your reading&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The library is an obvious answer, I prefer the ASSL library&nbsp;as I am a creature of habit and it just so happens that this was the first library I came across. The Science Library in the main building is a much more aesthetic choice though. The upstairs floor is like something out of Harry Potter with its&nbsp;old bookshelves filled with equally old looking books. It has high marble looking walls and a massive window at the end which lets in lots of natural light. The perfect place to get lost in a book. It also helps that this floor is patrolled by staff which keeps it silent. Another plus, if you fancy retracing the steps of&nbsp;Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock Holmes was filmed in this building!&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>For first&nbsp;years&nbsp;living&nbsp;in any&nbsp;of the Talybont residences \u2013 the social&nbsp;centre&nbsp;is a great choice If you just can\u2019t concentrate at home. It is close enough that you can pop home for lunch or a cup of tea, but far enough away that your flatmates can\u2019t come and distract you for hours.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li>A Caf\u00e9 &#8211; this is my favourite option. Who doesn\u2019t want to read in the comfort of a nice aesthetic caf\u00e9?&nbsp;My favourites are Blue Honey Local, Early Bird Caf\u00e9, Atma in the city centre, Hoffi Coffee.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li>Don&#8217;t be afraid of your seminar leaders.&nbsp;They&#8217;re literally paid to help you, so if you can\u2019t understand why&nbsp;Shylock in the merchant of Venice is so villainised or what the Shakespearean language&nbsp;actually&nbsp;means, then&nbsp;ask!&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do the Formatives&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A formative is essentially a draft which the module leader&nbsp;is allowed to&nbsp;mark for you, give you feedback&nbsp;on&nbsp;and tell you what you can improve.&nbsp;What about this is not to love? Why not take the opportunity to get feedback on whether you\u2019re on the right track before your hand-in?&nbsp;Ironically, most people do not do formatives.&nbsp;They can\u2019t be bothered to start thinking about the essays that far ahead, preferring to leave it until 2 days before hand in. I have to say, in second year I am striving to do the formatives because I just need the feedback. What is the point of feeling around in&nbsp;the dark for a 2:1 or a&nbsp;First when you could be guided?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Write notes as you read the book in relation to the module&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This will make it so much easier to find the good passages when you come to write your essay. You will probably have to re-read (or read for the first time if you\u2019re like most of us) and writing notes or writing out the useful quotes&nbsp;and their page numbers is essential. It will help you formulate an argument and find them again.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Use the&nbsp;Writing Workshop&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They give you such good advice and it\u2019s free. Really why would you not? Just make an appointment and gain that treasure trove of knowledge. Be a 2:1 when you were a 2:2.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Talk to people in your seminars<\/strong>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You may have already made great pals with your flat mates but who doesn\u2019t want to be popular? You can never have too many friends at university! It is very easy to stop putting in effort once you get comfortable at university, but you may find that your new best friend has been sat next to you in a seminar for a year undiscovered! If you miss a lecture&nbsp;or seminar, you can ask your brand-new course mates for their notes&#8230; a&nbsp;definite&nbsp;motive.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In conclusion, do not be disillusioned that English Literature is an easy course. It requires dedication, as all degrees do. If you stay organised and remain on top of the reading you will do well, and at the end of the day you are here&nbsp;to get a degree (as well as&nbsp;all of&nbsp;that fun social stuff of course).&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Often English Literature is perceived as a course where you simply read, consider the way that the colour of curtains reflects the mood of the author and essentially pull out [&hellip;]","protected":false},"author":1772,"featured_media":12421,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[717,311,242,241,718],"tags":[367,430,1192,897,335,284],"class_list":["post-12361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice-for-students-cy","category-second-year-cy","category-studying-cy","category-lectures-cy","category-top-tips-cy","tag-advice-cy","tag-degree-cy","tag-english-literature-cy","tag-help-cy","tag-student-life-cy","tag-studying-2-cy"],"meta_box":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12361","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1772"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12361"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12361\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12423,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12361\/revisions\/12423"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12361"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12361"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}