#studying english

[slightlyrebelliouswriter23]

hi, em! how are you doing?

i just checked your ‘about me’ post and saw that you studied english and creative writing at uni. i will be starting that career path next year, and i know it differs from one university to another, but i was hoping you could tell me a bit about it? if you feel like it, of course.

have a nice day <3

Nonnie!! That’s so wonderful to hear. 🖤 Congratulations! I loved my time at uni, and I hope you do, as well.

Now that the academic year is upon us, I've compiled a summary of thoughts on Creative Writing (and English-related) degrees for you, which you may or may not find useful. Regardless, I'm excited for you and hope your journey takes you far.

English & Creative Writing at University

I. AMBITION CAN GET YOU ANYWHERE- even the places you never intended to go

The first thing they will tell you in this path of study is that it is almost impossible to make a career out of writing. This is not true. It’s just that it is very difficult to create the career that you expect out of such a course of study.

Many young writers will go into a creative writing degree and expect to spend their entire career as a novelist. Or a travel writer. Or an editor. Only a few will actually go on to do those things.

It’s not impossible, so if any of these are your dream profession, don’t get discouraged. Ambition is never silly or naive.

Having said that, I will also tell you that the stars are just as beautiful and important as the moon. Just because you have a goal, doesn’t mean you’ll have failed if you end up somewhere entirely different. With this academic path, you're simply giving yourself direction.

It's important to remember to keep yourself open to anything. And remind yourself every once in a while that most good things in life happen by accident.

II. ALL THE TOOLS IN YOUR BELT

Secondly, I want you to think about your degree not just as a way to hone your craft—which it very much still is—but as something with a broader scope than the small yet wonderful world of writing.

When we boil down what you learn in a Literature and/or Creative Writing educational space, it’s so much more than learning How To Write or How To Read. (These'll be the things that you can put on your resume if/when you apply for non-literature-oriented positions)

In my English degree, I learned how to:

Think critically -> I rarely read or consume content and take it for face value anymore. I look for meaning. I extract purpose and truth. I analyse. I do this all automatically now, whereas before my degree, critical analysis was like doing reps at the gym. I sweated a lot and hated most of it.

Research -> I am exceedingly good at skimming articles to find important bits of information that relate to broad or very niche topics. I’m good at finding what it is I am looking for, and relating it to whatever I’m working on.

Translate -> I don’t mean this in the way that one might translate a foreign language to their native one. I mean taking complex concepts, researching and understanding them, then compacting all of the information I’ve learned into something that is digestible to the general public. This is an incredibly valuable tool in a world where most people can't be bothered to read a whole news article, much less comprehend complex areas of study.

In my Creative Writing degree, I learned how to:

Problem solve -> Writing, whether it is a short story or a novel, is a big puzzle. There are a lot of parts and each part fits with the next and some don’t fit with others at all and there is a lot of shuffling things around to make a cohesive picture.

Think creatively -> This might seem obvious, and also not that important to non-creative fields. But creative thinking, no matter what field you’re in, is vital. Without creative thinking there can be no creative ideas or solutions. My mother is an engineer and, at the time I’m writing this, she is taking an online course on Creative Thinking, because it is essential to her work. Lucky for you, this is built into your degree.

Receive and build on criticism -> This also may seem like not an important thing. But it is. So many people get discouraged by criticism, when really, it can be a gift. You’ll likely have weekly critiques in your degree. When you are both receiving and giving critiques, pay attention to the tools this practice is giving you. Notice what stands out, what works, what doesn’t—and use this to your advantage.

And of course, I learned from both of these degrees how to work efficiently on a time crunch. Which doesn't require much explanation other than my propensity towards procrastination (I do not condone or recommend this method, though I feel it is an inescapable fate for basically anyone putting themselves through uni).

III. Unfortunately, People Are Ignorant

Lastly, be prepared for the inevitable question that every student in an English-related degree gets at least once during their final year: “What the hell are you going to do with that?”

It's a rite of passage for scholars of the humanities. And yet, it can be extremely discouraging, getting that question over and over again. But know that it comes from a place of well-intentioned ignorance.

People will assume you’ll either teach or go into publishing, because they see "English" or "Writing" and think "Well, everyone can read except kids. Everyone can write except kids", and the only other job they'll be able to conceive of is one where you are making the decisions about what is or is not "Good Writing".

I definitely used the “Probably go into publishing” answer, because I knew that teaching, while admirable, definitely wasn’t for me. But retrospectively, I think the answer I should’ve used sounds a lot more like: “Anything I damn well please! Or are you not creative enough to think of ways in which an English/Creative Writing degree is useful?”

These are just some of the more general thoughts I have about my university experience, now that it is nearly half a decade behind me. If you have any more specific questions about Creative Writing and University, please feel free to ask.

Best of luck to you, nonnie! Happy writing.

–Em 🖤🗡

More Writing Tips & Advice

#thanks for the ask!! 💜 #asked and answered #nonnie #writing #writing tips #writing advice #studying english #studying creative writing #english #creative writing #university #why is a raven like a writing desk? #my advice

[tamago-toji]

I lose interest, so I'm interested

I took a national examination a while ago but don't feel like checking my answers and looking back at the examination. My nature of not to be afraid about not seeing future and trying to be amused, so I possibly think that it's not that life becomes easier though you get to pass the examination or it's not that life becomes more difficult though you don't get to pass it.

Am I being cold? But the qualification is not that guide me the best way for the future and I've thought I shall take the rudder of my ship in myself. Whatever happens, I have an interest that how take my rudder to the future. I have to take maintenance of my antennae to explore my destination because its sensitivity has been down by examination study.

興味が失せるほど興味が湧く

先日国家資格試験を受験したが、答え合わせとかをして試験を振り返えろうなんていう気持ちがこれっぽちも湧かない。 そもそも、どうなるか分からないことを不安がるのではなく、どうなるか分からないからこそ面白がろうとする質だからか、 「試験に受かれば生きやすくなるわけではないし、落ちても生きにくくなるわけでもない」などと思っている。 冷めているといわれれば、そうかもしれないが、 資格が最善の道へ導いてくれるわけではないし、自分の舟の舵を取るのは自分であるわけで。 どうなるにせよ、興味があるのは、この先自分はどんなふうに舵を取っていくのかということ。 試験試験で自分の行先を探る触覚の感度が鈍ってしまったような気がするので、まずはせっせと磨き直さねば、と思っている。

#learning english #english learner #study english #studying english #langblr #japanese language #english diary #ひとりごと #つぶやき #英語日記 #英語学習

[chaesvoguerice]

₊✩‧₊˚౨ৎ˚₊✩‧₊

hi !!

大家好 !

안녕~

おっす ~ !

₊✩‧₊˚౨ৎ˚₊✩‧₊

what i do in my free time:

write fics

listen to music while writing fics

read fics

talk about the fics i read

fantasize about the fics i haven't written yet

₊✩‧₊˚౨ৎ˚₊✩‧₊

blink, neverland, wiz*one, midzy, once, teleposse, bunny, my, dive, kkoti, nswer, jigumi, stay, glassy, army, bullet, nctzen, reveluv, orbit and fearnot

₊✩‧₊˚౨ৎ˚₊✩‧₊

i mostly write for idle and itzy, but trying to write others too ~

₊✩‧₊˚౨ৎ˚₊✩‧₊

#writing #writer #fanfiction writers #a03 writer #wattpad writer #blackpink #(g)i-dle #iz*one #itzy #twice #newjeans #aespa #ive #chuu #nmixx #yena #straykids #skz #jo yuri #bibi #nct127 #nct #nct u #nct dream #le sserafim #studying korean #studying japanese #studying mandarin chinese #studying english #red velvet

[g0thb0istudies]

Language Study Diary: Day 1 (2022/6/10)

Hi! I'm starting a daily language diary on the off chance that the sense of accountability will keep me in check.

My goals with English and Japanese are basically to continue building vocabulary through vocab books and extensive reading. I’m also starting Thai from scratch, so I’ll be working through a textbook and using other supplementary resources. Today: お決まり表現単語帳→reviewed 10 words, studied 10 new words Ten Nights of Dreams→reread The First Night, read The Third Night Merriam-Webster Vocabulary Builder→p163/692

#gbstudydiary #study diary #language diary #langblr #tongueblr #語学 #studying english #studying japanese #studying thai #勉強記録 #タイ語 #merriam-webster vocabulary builder #merriam-webster

[learningenglishpro]

MEDICAL EQUIPMENT & TOOLS ENGLISH GLOSSARY | COMPLETE ENGLISH WORDLIST

#youtube #learn english #medical english #learn english vocabulary #vocabulary #english vocabulary #english #studying english #english student #medical equipment #list #glossary #wordlist #english wordlist

[lowreyglobalconsultants]

Some common English mistakes in Japan

After teaching English here in Japan for nearly 20 years, I've noticed that there are some common mistakes that keep coming up. Fighting off the urge to roll your eyes, a teacher needs to understand this is a teachable moment. This is like finding a nugget of gold while swimming in the river. Because they are common errors, we can make a dent in this fault in the local language skills by explaining why they are wrong.

Here are a few that have come across my path in the last week or so;

"I choiced to go to school in Kansai." -> It is common to hear students mistakenly use 'choice' as a verb. I will challenge them; choice is a noun, what is the verb? If they can't come up with it, I'll introduce choose-chose-chosen. (Success/succeed has the same problem)

Safety Driver. In a similar vein, for years the Japanese police and other safety-concerned agencies have made stickers to put on cars saying 'safety driver'. Safety is a noun- safe is the correct adjective.

Do you drive MY CAR? Rather than saying 'your own' they often will staple 'my' in front of words like 'home' or 'car' for instance. I think a few clever advertising campaigns are to blame for this problem, but, hey, let's remember that 'my' means that is the speaker's own possession.

I overworked yesterday. While many may argue that it is overworking, the truth is, what the speaker wants to say is, "I worked overtime yesterday."

These are just a few examples, but there are a lot more. I will keep note as I encounter them and post again on this topic in the future.

#Japan #English #studying english #mistakes #common mistakes #speaking english #teacher #living in japan

[susanhorak]

#spoken_english #تعلم #learn_english #تعلم_الانجليزية دراسة اللغة الانجليزية - روتيني اليومي - جدول روتين يومي صحي لا شك انه تقريباً لكل شخص جدول روتين يومي صحي محدد قد يختلف في بعض الايام عن غيرها ولكن هنالك روتيني اليومي يتكرر بأستمرار. ايضاً، كلنا منا له روتين صباحي واعمال يقوم بها في فترة الصباح. والبعض الاخر له يوم مفضل قد لا يتكرر في بقية ايام الاسبوع. ولذالك قررنا ان نقدم هذا الدرس المهم للحديث عن جدول روتين يومي صحي وتكراره

لو عجبك الفيديو اعمل مشاركة من اللينك ده دراسة اللغة الانجليزية - روتيني اليومي - جدول روتين يومي صحي https://youtu.be/mK1vdGEdQ1Y

ليصلك كل جديد اشترك بالقناه http://bit.ly/2HQGd4q

المزيد من الفيديوهات المتميزة دراسة اللغة الانجليزية - روتيني اليومي - جدول روتين يومي صحي https://youtu.be/mK1vdGEdQ1Y

تعليم انجليزى - وصف شكل الأشخاص - وصف شخصية https://youtu.be/jCY8pcy7Ov4

تدريب اللغة الانجليزية - التعبير عن الالم - كلام عن الالم والجرح https://youtu.be/xfhlQ4zc-EM

تدريب اللغة الانجليزية - كلمات اساسية داخل الصف - الحوار https://youtu.be/kMbYTOsUUw8

كيف اتعلم انجليزي - اسئلة الانترفيو - مهارات المقابلة الشخصية https://youtu.be/kFWQACcN3qU

كيف اتعلم انجليزي - انواع الجرائم - الجرائم https://youtu.be/Ir37srWpHiQ #مواقع_تعليم_انجليزي #برامج_تعليم_انجليزي #تعلم_اللغة_الانجليزية #تعلم #spoken_english #english_speaking_course_online #spoken_english_in_telugu #نهي_طلبة , Noha Tolba

#جدول روتين يومي صحي #روتيني اليومي #دراسة اللغة الانجليزية #روتيني المسائي #روتيني الصباحي #الروتين اليومي #روتيني المسائي للمدرسة #روتيني في العيد #روتيني بعد المدرسة #روتينى اليومى فى تنظيف البيت #روتيني الصباحي في العطلة #Studying English #Daily Routine #Healthy Daily Routine #daily rituals #my daily routine #daily rituals women at work #healthy daily habits #good daily routines #daily routine for weight loss #best daily routine #اللغة الانجليزية #تعلم اللغة الانجليزية #Youtube

[swampthingking]

obsessed with jean’s colorful insults/descriptions so here’s a compiled list of them in order

you arrogant fool (abby)

you imbecile (kevin)

your ball-battered brain (kevin)

you feckless child (kevin)

those clowns (trojans)

pet goalkeeper (andrew)

the tiny bastard (neil) [LMFAO]

kevin’s pet monster (andrew)

the sunshine court [derogatory]

wholesome in an unsettling, unhealthy way (the trojans)

unhinged optimist (renee)

some plump shrink (bee)

that creepy little goalkeeper andrew minyard [PLEASE i was fucking DEAD he has no idea how funny he is]

you tedious malcontent (neil) [probably my favorite one]

an abominable cockroach (neil)

the wayward child (neil) [jesus christ he is not taking it easy on neil]

andrew’s twin

worthless trash bags (foxes, past tense)

a rabid little fox (neil) [hey. remember when neil described andrew as a ‘rabid goalkeeper’ ???]

annoyingly easy to look at (jeremy)

strange and misguided (the trojans)

the cruelty of these nonstop temptations (kevin, renee, jeremy)

the sunshine court [less derogatory]

“I was hoping he would bite his tongue off in the fall and save us both some grief in the long run.” (lucas)

wretched beast (gr****n)

your ignorant mouth (lucas)

“Your apologies are as useful as perfume on a frog.” (lucas)

neil, being the person he was,

you ignorant child (neil)

miserable wretch (neil) [giving his everything to neil’s insults]

ok that’s all. unless i missed some. and if i did you have to add them it’s just law

#yea english is his third language #but my baby was studying nouns and adjectives like nobody’s business #jean yves moreau #jean moreau #tsc spoilers #tsc #the sunshine court #aftg #all for the game #the foxhole court #tfc #trk #tkm

[joytri]

weak and weary

#aesthetic #dark academia #coffee #art #books #academia #college #light academia #studyblr #literature #dark acadamia aesthetic #dark acadamia quotes #dark academia moodboard #Pinterest #Study #edgar allan poe #classic literature #english language #literary quotes #Quotes #Writing #Writersblr #light acadamia aesthetic #light academia moodboard #chaotic academia

[petapeta-english]

Lets talk about your business history and you like a lot of entrepreneurs. You can't get the entrepreneurial bug out of your system. You keep going and going and going. You've had multiple careers. Lululemon the one that is most famous, now Kit and Ace. You could've sat back and done nothing. What is it about entrepreneurs that makes them want to do it over and over? I think that there's a passion of course, but there's an idea that comes to mind. So an idea that's not out there in the world, and you're right, I don't have to go to work another day in my life, but I go "Is my idea right?" "Does the world actually want what I think it wants?" And I can't stop from creating it to find out if what I'm thinking is true. You want validation. Yeah exactly. Is it an addiction? Sure.

#Youtube #studying english #study #reading #entrepreneur #business

[tamago-toji]

What pushing on me to get English

There are two phrases echoing and repeating in my mind in these days that is “Find about possibilities while running” and “Enjoy changing”.

I’m going to not use English in business so don’t be interested the TOEIC or others. I wish only to drink and talk about Bob Dylan and anything with someone who I got friendly when I had English.

I’ve been learning English with no teacher and no schooling. So I don’t know a systematic way of study so I feel that the way is not smooth. It’s like mountaineering that blind to the summit, watering on the desert like so I can be lost the way or the purpose honestly.

I’ve loved the phrase of “You ‘re just present” since teenage. So those phrases “Find about possibilities while running” and “Enjoy changing” echoing and repeating are maybe pushing me on.

I think the real reason I make a decision to get English that is to find my possibilities. Getting English is a step taking to an unknowing world surely. I’m excited to meet or experience there.

頭ん中でグルグルする言葉に突き動かされ

最近、とみに「Find about possibilities while running」と「Enjoy changing」いう言葉が頭ん中でグルグルする。

英語をビジネスで活かしたいとか、そのためにTOEICとか受けたいとかまったく考えてなく、とにかく喋れるようになって、仲良くなった奴と酒飲みながらボブ（ボブ・ディラン）の話とかしたいと思ってるだけなんだけど、自分は英語を独学で学習しているゆえ生身の師や先生やコーチがおらず、体系的に勉強する術を知らぬから学習方法も手探りで、すげークソ遠回りしていると思う。で、自分のやっていることが、登れど登れど一向に頂が見えぬ山登りのようで、砂漠の上で水を撒いているようで、方向を見失うことや目的を見失うことが正直ある。

「私はただの現在に過ぎない」という言葉がティーンのころから好きでかっこよくて、いまだに好きで、そんな自分だから「Find about possibilities while running」と「Enjoy changing」なんて言葉がグルグルするのは、目的を見失いそうになっても、立ち止まったり逡巡したり、考えても答えの無いこと自問自答したりしてんじゃねえよ！ってことなのかも。 グルグルする言葉に突き動かされています、私。

自分は中学時代から英語の勉強というものが嫌いで嫌いでサボってたのに、今になって英語を身につけたいと思った本当の理由は、オノレの可能性を探る目論見だったんだと思う。 英語を身につけることは、未知の世界に踏み出すきっかけになるはずだと。 英語っていうやつが喋れるようになったら、はてさてどんな出会いや経験をするんだろ。ふふふ、楽しみ。

#english learner #english learning #english study #study englis #studying english #langblr #study motivation #japanese language #monologue #writing #english diary #words #bob dylan #ボブ・ディラン #ひとりごと #つぶやき #英語日記 #英語学習 #my philosophy #言葉 #日本語

[essayisms]

The Duke Humfrey’s Library - the oldest reading room in the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford.

#journal #litblr #study #studyblr #booklr #literature #bookblr #english literature #books #university #oxford university #duke humfreys library #bodleian library #dark academia #dark academia aesthetic #library #study inspo #study inspiration #study motivation

[draculaswidow]

#dark academia #dark acadamia aesthetic #light academia style #light academia #dark academism #aesthetic #chaotic academia #dark academia aesthetic #literature #english literature #green academia #classic academia #academia #academia aesthetic #biology #study aesthetic #books and libraries #dark romanticism #light moodboard #fall academia #dark academia moodboard #virginia woolf #vintage #books

[frenchiepal]

study date at a friend's house 🪴

🎧 - watch what happens next by waterparks

#the friend MIGHT be an elf 🤔 #studyblr #langblr #aesthetic #study aesthetic #study inspiration #studying english literature #studying linguistics #studyspo #academia #jaystudies

[lowreyglobalconsultants]

What is the best rate of study?

I had an epiphany while I was standing in the rain watching my son's team practice for soccer. My son was in junior high school at the time and he has been doing soccer since he was in kindergarten. I had been a teacher and language coach for around 16 years at the time but I never could settle on how much was the best amount of time to study to really achieve results. So, there I was standing in the rain watching my breath dissipate in the air in front of me wondering why the heck they had to practice every day. My mind flashed to Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers and his theory about needing 10,000 hours to become proficient at something. That was it, not only the amount of time but the total immersion of the mind and commitment to a regular rhythm were a key to reaching the next level.

Doubtlessly the more time you dedicate to something, the more you can see improvement, but the rhythm of soccer practices suggested to me that constant and frequent repetition is also important. I thought this was the way to get the students at the company I was teaching at to remember some words for their TOEIC goals. I set up a practice sheet where every three days they had to focus on a single word. The first day, they look up the word in English (afterwards Japanese was permitted) then on the second day they had to come up with a practice sentence. If they followed this program, they would think about the word on successive days and interact, making a better chance to remember. On the third day they would get another chance and they would find some synonyms for the word. The following day was a new word and the cycle began again. The problem is that the students didn't follow the theoretical path and only studied everything on one day, before their class. The most serious students did follow it and I thought it was a good program. The beauty of it was that the students should be thinking about English everyday. They established a rhythm, even if just for 10-15 minutes. If I were stricter about it, I think we would have seen more results.

Looking through the Internet at ideas about how much to study, theories range between 20 minutes and 3 hours per day. An interesting post by Ouino (We know, get it?) language says 30 minutes of active studying and 1 hour of exposure is good. Of course they are promoting their business so it's merely a theory. If you don't subscribe to Medium, you will be trapped by the pay wall, but this post says 1-2 hours is best for rapid language acquisition.

I will say it again though, I believe that the true key lies in the daily rhythm more than the amount of study, though logically more time spent should yield more results.

#English #study #english study #teaching english #studying English #10000 hours #hours needed #how many hours #study rhythm

[77studies]

college is college-ing

#studyblr #dark academia #study #college #university #academia #chaotic academia #english #architecture #photos