by Keegan Malan 

Do you like to read? Do you like to write? Then have you ever considered becoming an English major? If so, then there are some things you should know about PUC’s English Department and what it means to be an English major. It’s not an easy task, but it is a rewarding one; one that will change your life forever, as it did my own.  

The English Department is a tight-knit group of people who love literature. In total, there are eight professors, meaning that you will be taking many classes with the same professor. Naturally, you will get to know them, and they will get to know you. In my experience, this means you are more likely than not to become friends with at least one of them. For me, this was honestly the best part of being in the community of the English Department. You become more relaxed and loose. The classes, no matter their difficulty, are eased by this feeling of friendliness. Because when you understand someone, and they understand you back, you feel good about that. You feel comfortable and at home, which makes the learning experience all the better. 

Of course, that doesn’t mean they will take it easy on you. You have to learn after all. And since you’re an English major, you have to read, and read a lot. The books vary depending on the specifics of the class, but they are typically older works, ranging from the mid-20th century back to Shakespeare’s day. There are only a select few more modern works you’ll read, such as if you take the Young Adult class or Postmodern Literature. Otherwise, your author catalog will look like Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Henry James. These books are some of the best ever written and remain very accessible today. Typically, you will be given a week to read these books, and if they tend to be thicker, you will be given a bit more time. And then in class, you will discuss the progress you have made with the professor and fellow students. For non-English majors, the reading load seems rather daunting, but for English majors, it’s not too difficult. Personally, whenever I could, I would ask the teacher in advance what books we were going to read. And by ahead of time, I mean a quarter ahead for a class I hadn’t yet taken, just so I could get a head start on the process of reading. This helped a lot, making everything so much easier. 

The actual homework and assignment load varies greatly depending on the professor. In some classes, you will be required just to write something like a two-page analysis of a book or a play for every one you read. In others, there will be more, what I call, grunt work, which is mini assignments you complete weekly. Typically though, the assignments you receive tend towards the former rather than the latter. Papers, a presentation or two, and a bigger essay at the end of the quarter. Very rarely are there regular exams, as other classes have. 

The English department is more concerned with analysis and your own thoughts rather than answering questions about specifics from the books, like “What did Sally do in chapter 100?” and other questions of that nature. Reading great literature is all about expanding your mind to think more critically and to understand yourself and other people more deeply. It’s a medium that teaches us about our humanity and lessons we can learn, and how we can live better lives because of it. And so the assignments reflect this worldview. We are lectured by the professors on the historical contexts of texts and how they can be applied to our lives and those of others. 

If you want to be an English major, there are two things you will have to do. Read a lot and write a lot. There are no exceptions to the rule, and you, as an English major, are expected to perform well in your tasks and show growth. If it’s too much of a task, then the major is not for you, but if it is not too much, then you will discover the beauty that is in the written world and truly come to understand how stories can change lives. Your own life will be changed by what you read. It’s impossible not to be changed. That is its beauty, and that is the wonder of the English department: that you will change, and so will others, and you will change together. 

If you’d like more information, please visit puc.edu/english.