As an English Literature fresher (or an English and Insert Relevant Subject Here fresher) you will no doubt be ridiculed for your lack of contact hours and your handful of exams. But we know the truth; if you’re doing a degree in literature it’s going to involve a LOT of reading. You may not have an 18 hour week with daily 9 a.ms, but all that extra time you have isn’t really meant to be for partying. And despite how little sleep you can survive on (I’d say 5 hours is the minimum and anything above 6 is luxurious), you can definitely divvy your time up between having fun and reading (but then reading is fun, right? RIGHT?). Don’t be the person who reads nothing! There’s nothing quite like the awkward silence following a tutor’s question in a seminar. And it doesn’t get easier as the year goes on.

 

So here’s how you do ALL of the reading (Read: Here’s how you read ALL of the books without actually having to read ALL of the books)

 

 

Plan in advance

 

Sounds simple right? That’s because it is. Reading doesn’t have to pile up or be last minute. Nothing will go in if you’re reading the book in the two minute walk between the lecture and the seminar. You’ve got time – use it well!

 

 

Get the books on the Recommended Reading List

 

Some of these are written or edited by your lecturers and seminar tutors. If you want to impress them, find out what they like talking about! Be a nerd, look up kleos and find out whether they agree with Marxism or not before the essay questions are given out. It’ll make understanding the text easier and essays will be a doddle.

 

 

Read English Translations

 

For some of your modules this year you’re going to get texts that some may not consider to be English. You of course will know better. Yes of course “hathel” and “wright” mean the same thing, it’s man, obviously. And of course you pronounce ALL of the letters in a word, that’s what they’re there for. However it might be useful to read a translated copy of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight alongside the Medieval one. By which I mean it will definitely be useful to read in translation. Don’t read anything entirely in the original. SAVE YOURSELVES!

 

 

Read up book summaries

 

I know it sounds like cheating and I guess it kind of is…but I’ll let you off. Read the summaries, and then read the book. Or read the summaries alongside the chapter or the poem.

 

 

Don’t do it all at once!

 

Just because you’re reading ahead doesn’t mean you need to read all the books for this term. You spend such little time on some texts in MWL, it doesn’t make sense to read everything in Week 1 and forget everything by the time the lecture comes round. And you definitely don’t want to drown yourself under all of those books. Words are heavier than you can imagine.

 

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Use Reading Week to your Advantage

 

You thought reading week would be a good time to visit home? Pshhht. Anytime outside of the lecture hall is a good time to catch up on missed chapters and read ahead a couple of weeks. Spend that travel time on the train reading, spend those lazy afternoons at home reading!  Okay, so maybe you should spend some time with family and friends but don’t miss out on an opportunity to ensure that you’re on top of all your work.

 

 

Make it Fun

 

Force your flatmates to act out the latest play you’re reading with you, watch Sir Gawain and the Green Knight on youtube (it is weird and wonderful in equal measures), just keep it exciting!

 

And, generally Lit students suffer through some horrible, terrible, temporary amnesia – why did I choose to do a degree in literature? I don’t even like reading. Don’t make me read another book. Please!

 

 

We’ve got a cure, don’t worry:

 

1. Take a break from your books
2. Eat some chocolate or run a mile or watch something that makes you laugh (endorphins my friend, endorphins)
3. Remind yourself of the books you fell in love with
4. Repeat after me: I LIKE to read. I DO like reading. I LOVE READING! READING IS THE BEST.

 

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Repeat as necessary.