First year college students walk in with a lot of insecurities. This is the year we begin to answer the question that our relatives at awkward family parties have been asking us for years: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” We are asked what major we want to do and what we want to do with that major. All of sudden, you are picking classes and setting up for graduation. All this happens with the expectation you will graduate and go into the real world.
I walked in knowing I want to major in English. It was the obvious approach due to my affinity for books and writing. The question previously stated changed to “Is this really what I want to do when I grow up?” I learned this year that the answer to the question at every single family party was: English. It was always there, but I had some insecurities due to how important the decision is.
This year I learned about literature and read more authors that I have ever read. I have interpreted literature and learned more about writing than I ever knew. I was introduced to reading literature in lenses and it changed the way I read. Harry Potter is, and always will be, obviously a Marxist text.
This year I learned that I never want to stop reading and writing. My hobby turned into passion, now I want my passion to turn into my career.
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Coming into college, I was scared about picking a major right off that bat. However, I knew that I was really interested in English and it’s what I love to do. I now find myself writing essays about pieces of literature that interest me. I honestly couldn’t have picked a better major. I chose this major because I’m a certified book nerd. I won the reading student of the year award my senior year of high school, basically the book nerd of the year award. I have loved reading since I was little; it has become something that I’m super passionate about. Also, I chose this major because of the intensive writing courses. I love challenging myself when writing a paper. I love constructing a paper out of an idea in your head, then making it cohesive. It astounds me how one can use words to provoke a message and I love every minute of my major because of it. I love the material we read in my classes. Right now, we’re reading a novel and analyzing said novel. It’s amazing how you can view literature from a way and develop an idea about it. I love my professors in the major, they allow you to create your own ideas. They allow you to use your own words.
I’m a strong believer in doing what you love. If you love reading and writing and are passionate about it, I highly suggest you become an English major. It’s a lot of writing and hard work, but it’s all totally worth it. I’ve learned how to look at literature differently as an English major. I’ve learned that words are used deliberately and the author probably used it for a reason. Nothing is always something can be confusing in a way, but analyzing literature makes you look at the world differently. Literature is a direct link to our culture and society. You can develop ideas about both of those when you read a piece of literature. No literature is the same, each piece is unique. When reading a piece from the 1950’s, you will find something different than reading a poem from the 1800’s. Literature shows how the world has developed and changed. I’m done with my rant about how awesome my major is, but I really do recommend this major to anyone who loves to read.
I will leave you with a quote from Steve Jobs on the topic of doing what you love, have an awesome week!
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” -Steve Jobs
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Pray your way and be worry free. Things rarely make sense if you force them. Just be yourself, do whatever makes you happy and don’t waste your time trying to fix things out of your control. – Jeffery Facchin
I know… we all can change. – Rick Grimes (The Walking Dead)
A wise man told me this recently when I told him that I felt lost. So I took his words of wisdom into my life. I started to focus on what makes me happy, which one of the things was writing poetry. I had thought about changing what I wanted to do with my life. I changed my major to General Studies English. I felt the weight and worry lifted off of my shoulders. The stress that was holding me back just disappeared. I can have more open to my career than what I had previously.
I was not going to worry about trying my hardest to make everyone happy, but I was going to make myself happy again. That meant that I was taking more appreciation into the friendships that I currently have right now, and everything that I have in my life. I wasn’t going to try to force broken friendships to be fixed. If it was meant to be fixed than the broken friendships would be fixed.
Doing things like reading graphic novels, playing video games, and writing have changed my outlook on life. I had recently asked my folks if I could adopt a dog as a graduation gift in December. They said as long as I pay for everything for the dog. This had made my whole year. I felt more grown up because of this. I am looking forward to my dog. I will have something to look forward to when I came home from work. I have changed for the better. I take more pride in what I do.
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When you look up the word inspire, the dictionary defines it as- to fill with an animating, quickening, or exalting influence: His courage inspired his followers.
In the Fontbonne community I would have to say that Dr. Jason Sommer would be an inspiration to me. He’s my professor, my academic advisor, Department Chair of the English and Communication Department, and he’s a published poet.
After I’ve completed my BA here at Fontbonne University, my goal is to become a published writer. I’m currently enrolled in Advanced Creative writing which is being taught by Dr. Sommer. He’s the kind of frustrating inspiration especially when he sees capabilities in you that you don’t see within yourself. But he wouldn’t be the Dr. Sommer everyone has come to know if he didn’t push you to reach your full potential.
Another professor on my list would have to be Professor Margaux Sanchez; she’s a professor in the English and Communications department. She inspires me because, like me, she manages a home life/family, work and everything else. She’s also helped me reach new heights regarding my writing. Without her I wouldn’t know how to unclog my mind and thoughts when I’m suffering from writer’s block. She’s written for the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, and most recently, the St. Louis Beacon. She’s someone I look up to and has shown me how to become a better me through my writing.
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