It is very well known that English majors get a lot of flack. So much so, that many English majors have lost all pride in their academic choice and are pretty defensive about it. From one writer to another, that kind of ‘tude will only limit you.

So to lift your spirits and remind you how great it is to be an English major; here are some great jobs you can have with an English degrees and famous friends who all have found great success with theirs! Read More »

It’s finals week. You’re living on coffee and chocolate. Your days are spent in the library. Your nights are spent in the library. You’re wracking your brain trying to remember historical facts no one knows about and chemical equations you will never use. You’re stressed and crazed and far from in the mood to write. But write you will have to do.

Because in exchange for not having to take a final for that literature class you have to write a paper. And not just any paper, but a good paper. A really good paper. Because this paper is worth a large chunk of your final grade. The problem is though, you’ve never really gotten a grip on that whole paper writing thing. Sure, you know the basics, but do you know the specifics? Do you know how to avoid the mistakes that will keep that A just out of reach?

Well, I do.

After four years as an English major, one year as a literature tutor, and two semesters worth of thesis writing, I think I’ve cracked the code. And I’m going to share my secrets with you. Below are the most common grammatical and paper writing mistakes, the things you always miss, the things you need to know, the rules standing between you and that elusive A. So bookmark this page and consult it when writing those final papers. You’ll thank me later.

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I still haven’t written my personal statement yet.

You know, the one that more or less says “explain yourself in 700 words or less.” The one that asks you to take the last four yours of your life and make them fit in an essay. The one that asks you to be creative, and witty, and unique, while also demonstrating your intelligence and artfully adding in all of your accomplishments. The one required for college admissions, scholarships and awards, and, in my case, the one required for grad school applications.

Yep, that one.
I just can’t seem to write it.

The truth is, I’ve never been a big fan of personal statement essays, or as grad schools like to call them, statements of purpose. (Because changing the name will differentiate them from the nightmare that was applying to college.) They all sound exactly the same, and everyone says what they think the admissions board wants to hear, and everyone talks about family history or motivation or their many deep and meaningful reasons for pursuing the career path they’ve chosen. And basically, what it comes down to is one giant cliché. And I hate clichés. And so do the admissions boards, or at least, that’s what they claim. Read More »

For those of you who follow any of my entries on here, if you know anything about me, you know this one thing: I like sex. I like it a lot and I have made the argument on here, multiple times, that a lady can still be a lady and have sex whenever SHE wants…including the first date.

But I did something this past weekend that I haven’t done in five years: I did NOT have sex when I wanted to, and could have.

A man who I’ve had a flirtatious relationship with for the last 10 months has recently been coming on more strongly. He’s been asking me out on ‘official’ dates and telling me how it drives him nuts that I hook up with other guys but I have never attempted to even touch him. (And I laughed some sort of maniacal laugh in my head at that one…I loved finding out that I was driving him crazy with desire. I’m real sick like that.)

We made some plans for Saturday night and I blew them off. I was busy with my writing and had no desire to leave my neighborhood. I kindly let him know that he was welcome to meet me in my neighborhood, but that I was on too much of an artistic kick to travel. (He’s an artist, so I didn’t expect this to be weird for him to hear at all). And apparently, it wasn’t weird for him, because he got in a car and drove over. Read More »

What can you do with a B.A. in English? What is my life going to be?

A difference to the human race…

–Princeton, Avenue Q

Like so many wide-eyed college students, I decided that the ‘practical’ degree was not for me. I had no intentions of going to med school, which is to the benefit of the general public, and I certainly wasn’t about to take any more math than absolutely necessary. No engineering for me, Mom and Dad, even if you do get set up with interviews through the university. I was majoring in English.

I often lament this rebellion when I look at my checking account. Unfortunately, my other rebellious idea was to move to New York, so being young and broke has taken on an entirely new meaning altogether. Read More »

Okay so it’s finals week, and that = lots and lots of papers, lots of tests, and, of course, the perfect time for a major attack of Writer’s Block! (scary music) We’ve all been there– staring at a blank screen at 3:20am, wishing you were anywhere but here, surfing the web for flights to Romania and cool jobs that don’t require a college diploma. Here are a few more practical solutions:

1. Step Away from the Computer! Do something non-computer related (and non-TV related for best results) for 15-30 minutes– take a short walk, read a magazine, doodle a bit. Then go back to your paper.

2. Trying using paper and pen for awhile: I usually write my topic or thesis at the top of the page to get me started.

3. Switch up your playlist. My writing music ranges from Apocalyptica to Pink and MC Solaar to Röyksopp.

4. Change your font color and text style to something fun: it sounds crazy, I know, but just try it — it helps.

5. Call it a night. Seriously. Even if it means you have to get up at 5am the next morning to finish it, a few hours of sleep will drastically improve your writing ability.

[Got any other ways to battle writer's block?? Let us know!]

The infamous Modern Love column in The New York Times is looking to the college demographic to find out what love and relationships are like in this age bracket. They’re sponsoring a contest with an end result of being published in the paper, as well as $1,000!

I’m sure that many of you have stories to tell in response to the question that the NY Times is posing, “What is love now, in this age of 24/7 communication, blurred gender roles and new attitudes about sex and dating?” There’s no one better to address this complex and ever-changing question than someone in our generation.

How can you enter? Read More »

Chick lit—one step above romance novels and one step (OK…maybe a few steps) below Jane Austen on the Ladder of Lit.

I love chick lit, mainly because it gives me great comfort to know that there are people out there whose dating mishaps and embarrassing moments are even worse than mine…even if those people are fictional.

If you have the impression that most chick lit is just about as brainless as a pile of sawdust, well, then you’d be right. The cream of the crop, though, has both good writing and great laughs. Try these awesome titles to start:

First of all, if you’ve never read Bridget Jones’s Diary (check out that bargain price on Amazon), you have committed a serious sin against your sex (and no, seeing the movie does not count). This book is the groundbreaking work of the chick lit genre, and for good reason. Guaranteed to be one of the funniest novels you’ll ever read. Read More »

I don’t know about you, but sometimes it can take me a while to get into the academic-paper-writing mood of zen. A long while. Like…several months.

Since I don’t usually have that kind of luxury to juggle around class deadlines, I do fun writing exercises to help me get in the mood. They’re easy, short, and they really will help your writing skills get better, so you can snag the high grades you need. Try these, or make up your own.

• Journaling. I don’t mean the kind of journaling that your sixth-grade teacher made you do about your summer vacation. I mean real journaling about what you really care about. Write a page about how much of a douchebag your ex is, or a few paragraphs about your favorite kind of chocolate and why exactly you love it so much. Loosening your writing muscles will help you get better starts on your papers.

• Songwriting. Come on. We’ve all listened to a Backstreet Boys song or two and thought to ourselves, “My four-year-old cousin could write better lyrics than those.” So why not prove it? Rather than calling up your baby cousin, do it yourself. A quick exercise like scribbling down a song will give you more creative, open ideas about the content and outlets of your academic writing. Read More »

“I would rather set my hair on fire than read this book again.”

“Saying this is the best book I’ve ever read doesn’t do it justice.”

Got an opinion? Like to read books? Then head over to Goodreads, the best site out there that you may not know about.

Goodreads is the ultimate winner: a user-motivated review site that’s also a social network. If you love to read (or have to for class, as the case may be), rate the books you go through and post reviews.

If you want to protect everyone out there from the heinous piece of trash your English prof is calling “literature,” call it out on Goodreads and tell other people to stay the hell away from it. If you think everyone on Earth should read your favorite book, find it on the site and write a review that will move even the soundest skeptic to sob with longing.

You can search the site for specific books, see what others thought of them, and get book recommendations from friends. If you’re a writer, you can also post excerpts from your writing and read snippets of others’ work. Read More »