 English & Theatre
Additional Academic Programs
[
Second Major, Concentration or Minor ] [ Your Departmental Advisor ] [
Academic Difficulty ]
[ Survival Tips: Time Management, Reading, Writing ] [
Department Faculty and Staff ]
By your sophomore year, you should consider whether you would like to apply for programs which would expand your academic horizons during your junior and senior years. Following is a list of these programs, with
special requirements and contact persons.
Honors Program. 18 hours of college credit, with a 3.3 GPA for admission (3.5 for graduation in the program). Students wishing to enter the program submit an application (for contents, see your course catalog). Honors credits during junior and
senior year include one-on-one tutorials in which the student picks the topic he/she will be studying within a major, minor, and/or general education field. Students also select their own topics (within their major only) for their individual senior projects. For more information, contact
Dr. Ellen Casey, Professor of English and Director.
Study Abroad. 3.0 GPA. Contact Mr. Michael Simons, Study Abroad Advisor.
Business Leadership Program. 3.3 GPA for admission (3.5 for graduation in the program). Students wishing to enter the program submit an application (for contents, see your course catalog). You need not be a business major for this program: all prerequisites for junior
level courses in the program are waived. Contact Dr. Robert L. McKeage, Director.
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English and Theatre majors have enough open courses in their cognate and free area courses to complete at least two minors or a second major, especially if these courses are combined with GE area requirements.
You may declare a second major after your first semester. Use your cognate and elective areas to fit a second major into your schedule, and begin planning earlier rather than later. Speak to your English or Theatre advisor as well as to the department
director of the second major to ensure that you will meet all requirements and still graduate in a timely fashion. You will only need to complete the General Education requirements of your first major, but you should know that the second major may require particular General Education courses (such as another math or science elective) not
required by the English or Theatre major and that you must complete any cognate courses required by the second major. After establishing that the second major is a feasible option, obtain signatures on a Declaration of Second Major form from the dean of the college of that major as well as the two departmental chairs involved.
(KO)
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During the freshman year, CAS students like yourself are advised by members of the CAS Academic Advising Center who help ease the transition into college life by helping you arrange your schedule and answer your questions about academic success. These
advisors are available from 8:30-4:30, Monday through Friday. By the time you become a sophomore, you should be more familiar with the workings of University life, and at the same time, your questions and concerns will be more specific to your major and to future plans associated with that major (grad school, internships, career). Thus,
following the conclusion of the freshman year, you will be assigned a full-time faculty advisor in the English Department. Get to know your advisor, a process that may require more initiative on your part. College professors are often unavailable due to teaching, research, conferences, meetings, and other obligations; also, your
advisor's schedule will change from semester to semester. Be flexible. Consult schedules posted on your advisor's office door. Feel free to drop in, but be aware that unless you stop in during posted office hours, your advisor may have to prepare for class, a meeting, or engage in research, and you may be better off making an
appointment for another day.
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If you find yourself having problems in class, get help. Start with your professors and your academic advisor. Know their office hours and make use of them. They can often give you specific advice about succeeding in your coursework. Or, if the kind of
help you need falls outside their expertise, they can help you find other University resources to help you. If you cannot manage your time or if you find that the study skills that got you through high school don't work in college, you might try the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE). (This is also a good place to sign up
for a tutor or for group study.) If you need to talk about ideas for a paper, you might go to the Writing Center. If you are depressed or caught up in personal difficulties, from homesickness to substance abuse, go to the
Counseling Center. Appendix B of this manual has a list of University Resources, many geared to help you find your
way academically, socially, mentally, spiritually, and physically. Make use of them.
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Whether you are an English or Theatre major, reading and writing are the two most important skills you can hone during college in preparation for the real world, especially if you are an English major. Here are some helpful hints to get you started:
The
most important skill to learn is not reading or writing fast but learning how to manage your time. Develop a weekly plan of all the reading and writing you need to accomplish during the upcoming week and prioritize your assignments.
When
hit with an overwhelming amount of reading break it up over a period of at least two days.
Use
the same method for writing papers; break each paper up into sections and attack a section a day.
Do
not read for memorization, or you'll find yourself frustrated and infuriated. Instead, read for understanding, thematic comprehension, and enjoyment (I'm serious!)
Works
of literature are sometimes chock-full of metaphors, symbolism, and other literary devices. Read to grasp the purely literal aspects of a story before focusing on the interpretation of figurative elements.
Read
all assigned material! You may be able to get by using only the professor's notes in some classes, but not in your English classes.
While
reading, a good habit to develop is taking notes. Jot down any questions, observations, or ideas for a paper.
Check,
double-check, and re-check your papers! Never hand in your first copy of a paper, but carefully proof and edit this initial copy. Let your first draft sit for a period of time – preferably overnight – before you proof-read it. (Another Sigma Tau Delta member notes that printing out a copy to check over instead of checking from the
computer screen often makes revising much easier. Other students note that they never finish a successful paper in just two drafts.)
When
you write a paper, finish your first draft a little early and show it to your professor for his/her comments. He or she is the best judge of whether your thesis is focused enough, whether the paper is heading in the right direction, and whether you maintain the focus of your thesis.
Ask
your professor exactly what he or she expects from your papers. Standards of paper content may vary from professor to professor; do not assume what worked in one class will succeed in another.
Your
ideas for papers should interest you. Avoid choosing a point to prove that is too mundane or obvious. Take some risks and be creative!
Do
not make any comments or assertions in your paper that you do not or cannot back up with hard evidence (i.e., a statement that is too general or speculative).
When
writing a paper, focus only on one small and specific aspect of the story.
Buy
a recent copy of the MLA Handbook, a dictionary, and a thesaurus and use them!
Always
remember that the purpose of writing an English paper is to prove something about a work of literature. Your thesis is what you are trying to prove and the rest of the paper is your argument for it.
Make
every word count! Avoid using empty filler sentences or clichés. Write what you mean and mean what you say.
Remember
the importance of citing all sources, even if you paraphrase, in accordance with the University policy on plagiarism in the Student Handbook and the MLA Handbook.
(CP with additions by RH)
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