How Can College Students Get Through Long Classics?
The best titles in literature are four hundred pages long or more. Is it possible to read it during the term? If you don't procrastinate your coursework, then the answer is yes.
You want to pursue a degree in literature, hoping to be one of those lucky few novelists who can make a sole living in authorship. You should have read too many biographies about your favorite authors, as well as the other literary titans, and be able to deduce three things. Reading is included in their daily routine. Other authors are their mentors and companions. Books are their prized possessions. It's not hard to imagine yourself joining their company during your few years in college. The thought overwhelms you when you think of the month of December and spring semester. You need to plan it out.
Reading can be an exhausting activity, even if you happen to like the novel. If you're one of the millions who love Ransom Riggs, then you're not daunted at reading a chapter of thirty pages or more. You can boast about finishing "A Map of Days" in less than a day, but there's no need to do it. (If you're a smart teenager, then you rather keep it to yourself.) You might not be able to finish "Moby Dick", where Captain Ahab's relentless search for an albino sperm whale is written in seven hundred pages or more. This is the rough estimate of a hardbound copy, which you may not find in your local library. You won't find Emma Bloom aboard the Pequod, which may interest you a bit. Classics are mandatory reading, a rite of passage that you must go through. Liking it or not is out of the question. It would turn you into a better writer, though.
Getting ahead is the best approach, such that you won't encounter trouble during the term.
How to Get Through the Reading List
Read the titles before the beginning of the term. You should have an idea of what authors and titles to study during the term. If you didn't get a copy of a syllabus (from the previous term), then you might have asked your admissions tutor about it. You're likely to study Modern literature during your first year. This is a good start, as it might take you quite some time to finish a book by D.H. Lawrence. If the Brangwen sisters enthuses you to look for more novels, then the works of Virginia Woolf may be your ultimate challenge. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea. You might get over your initial discomfort, but your prejudice against the English author may hinder you from finish your reading in the shortest time. You don't have to pressure yourself to read all her works, if not the assigned books that are found in the syllabus. You might get melodramatic about it, as you think that the coursework is a matter of life and death. Go to the next item.
Enjoy what you're reading. If it takes you an hour (or more) to finish a single chapter, if not you feel those heavy eyes, then switch to short stories. (If you're too lazy to visit the library, then you need to meander the Internet for a few hours or less.) A short story can be several pages long, if not fifteen pages or more. The size, which seems insignificant, can prompt you to indulge in this genre. It's a great start, as it exposes you to different authors (or genres). You may not enjoy it, yet you would learn to devote your free time to reading. There's no need to read a text in one setting unless you truly love it (and you can't wait to get to the climax). You can make another attempt on reading a novel once you get worn out from reading too many short stories. It happens to everyone, so don't worry about it. Novella is another option, and the likes of Gabriel García Márquez have lots of titles to keep you from getting out of your room.
Have a journal (or notepad) and pen beside you. Time is on your side here, so read carefully and slowly. Pay attention to the description of a certain place, as it reveals the author's insight on a particular story (or character). You can write down as many quotes as you like, but it won't impress your professor at all. You must add your insight, if not ask a question (if you wouldn't figure it out). And take note of a character that gives a strong impression on you. It doesn't have to be the main characters unless you see it differently. You may never know unless you do a CliffNotes check, but there's no need to. If you can relate to that character, then a description of one trait should be good enough. It may not be what your professor is looking for, but your essay consists of a few thousand words or more. You might browse it when you're about to compose a draft (of your essay assignment), and you may think of something that you haven't come across earlier. You can see why it's important to get ahead. Keep it up, as you will browse it when you’re doing an (actual) assignment.
Don’t Worry, Be Happy
Nothing beats the real thing, which gives you trepidation. The term will pressure you, if not demand most of your time. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to write well unless you enjoy doing it. Don’t worry about the deadline, if not the titles that you miss. You have read many books, such that you have many ideas on how to present your argument and where to get your facts to support it. If you still have time, then don’t hesitate to look at other readings. (Check your syllabus once more.) If you have examinations, then you can come up with a good guess. Try to be inquisitive. Try to be perceptive. And try to be expressive.
