Surviving a College Literature Class

If you went to a high school similar to mine, you probably spent the majority of your time in English learning vocabulary and taking test and quizzes based solely on the content of fictional works. I am not downplaying the importance by any means of learning new vocabulary or reading for content, but I was shocked to find that my first English professor really did not care about the name of Jane's aunt in Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre. College takes literature a step further, not only should you read for content but in reading you should look critically at a piece of work.

It seems to be true that the best lessons that someone learns are through mistakes and trial and error. As an English major, I really did not know what I was getting into when I entered college. Looking at literature from a critical approach was something I had no clue about, and my first paper, my first and only "c," reflected that.

To survive and ultimately in order to thrive in a college level English literature class, the student must be willing and able to approach literature, whether fiction or nonfiction, from a critical point of view. While critical reading eventually becomes second nature, there are several things you can do that will help aid in this.

First, you have to take notes. When your taking a class only on Tuesday and Thursday and you decided to do your 200 page reading for the next class on Friday, you have all day Saturday, Sunday, and Monday to forget what you read. I personally find it helpful to take note of characters or major events, just something you can reread before class or a test, that way you do not have to read the entire text again.

Second, ask questions while you are reading and write them down. If something does not make sense or if something jumps out at you, then write it down. I have found that when I go to begin a research paper, these questions generally help to form my topic.

The third thing you need to do in critical reading is to look outside of the text itself. If your reading a fictional piece, it is important to think about what the author is really trying to say with the text as a whole (keeping in mind that this is something we as readers may never know). Is the author highlighting women's roles during the Victorian era? Is the author writing this in reaction to the Salem witch trials? What does that rose symbolize in "The Sick Rose" by William Blake? Sometimes looking at other pieces from the same period or on the same subject or by the same author really helps in deciphering the main point of the piece.

While just following these three steps will by no means get you an "a" in a college literature class, it will make the class a whole lot easier. There are just three words to remember: write, ask, and look. Write some notes, ask some questions, and look outside the piece. Oh, and one more thing . . . don't forget to read the literature, shortcuts don't always work and there is such a thing as integrity.