Understanding Literature Anxiety (and How to Get Over It)
There's such a thing as Math Anxiety, which students of all ages could relate to. Schools have addressed this issue, and the outcome isn't assuring at all. (How many adults could recall the Pythagorean theorem?) It's not so different with Literature Anxiety, but it could prompt some B.S. Mathematics major students to raise their eyebrows. When did the reading of books become a major problem?
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) students must understand that writing could be an exhausting endeavor, and striving to be a good writer may take a lifetime. An impressive admissions essay deserves a celebration, but it won't be good enough for the students of the English Department. After all, three-fourths of their grade would depend on paper writing. And much of the examinations involve the analysis of a poem or a writing of a prose (under limited time). This should be one cause of Literature Anxiety.
The other symptoms of Literature Anxiety are the overwhelming sensation after looking through the reading list, the despondent feeling when the completion of the draft of an essay is a remote possibility (and the deadline is several hours away), and the bouts of self doubt. It should make B.A. English students (and those who pursue a dual degree) wonder if they have made the right decision (in pursuing a literature degree). It should be high time to ponder about the future. Alone.
If you happen to be on your second (or third) year, then it may be too late to ask such a question. It's impractical to change courses at this stage, so it would be better to finish your studies. You should console with the thought that a B.A. degree offers flexible (career) options, and you must study this recourse if you're not keen on pursuing an academic career. (It also applies to authorship.) If you happen to be a freshman, then it would be best to change your mindset about the coursework. Think of it as a cure to Literature Anxiety, which older students can learn from it.
How I Learn to Embrace Literary Studies (and Loving It)
If you arrange your schedule accordingly, then you won't have (major) problems at all. The coursework requires reading and writing. Lots of it. There won't be any issue if you have time on your side. It's not always the case in the university, though. If you're starting to whine about it, then watch a varsity game. You may know a varsity player. (If you don't, then there's nothing wrong on being curious about a varsity player's repeated attempts to balance studies and training.) If you're too shy to approach one, then a student who is hoping to receive a dual degree would do. There are many of those students in your department, and one might be your dorm mate. The number of essays should put you to shame, if not make you resolved to spend less time on socializing and more on mastering the basics in literary criticism.
If you don't try too hard, then you won't finish your assignment sooner. It seems easy to say that you must read an assigned text on your leisurely pace, jotting notes on your favorite quotes. It could be challenging to keep track on the characters, of what they become (or have fallen from). And you shouldn't forget the background. (Wikipedia comes handy.) Try a new approach instead. Read without expectations. You must have an impression after making it midway. There should be a character (or an aspect of the story) that would strike you. And you still recall the particular chapter (or two). This should be good enough for a thousand words or less. Checking out the author's background could help you fill out the remaining words, which should help you reach the required word count in less time.
If you don't mind a lot, then you would spend less time on proofreading. The expectations are high on student of English Department, such that they must know a great deal in grammar and sentence composition. You must not think about it when you compose the draft of your assignment. Keep your statements short and simple, which lessens the possibility of penning more grammatical errors and faulty sentences. It's more important to write your thoughts coherently, even if it looks more prosaic than the others.
Why You Must Sleep More
Writing a paper requires you to use the most of your mental faculties, and you would put yourself in great difficulty if you don't get enough sleep. You might be sad about the parties you pass up, where you can make new friends (at the end of the night). If you're the friendly teenager, often showing the initiative (to make friends), then there are other ways. A B.S. Mathematics student couldn't agree more.
An ideal set-up would be reading the assigned text before you hit the sack. It should be writing (and proofreading) if the deadline is looming. It doesn't matter if you have a few deadlines. If you have a problem, then reach out. And you're not supposed to be too dignified.
