5 Things That All English Students Cannot Stand

This blog post is tailored to all of us English Scholars..


1) We are not all 'Grammar Nazis'
God I hate that term. Using the word 'Nazi' to describe anybody who isn't a racist, fascist, small-minded imbecile is offensive and embarrassing. And no, not every English student cares about whether Joe Bloggs wrote 'your' instead of 'you're' on his Facebook status. Every once in a while, you're bound to fuck up on spelling or grammar. Everybody does it, so stop making it your mission to correct every mistake under the sun! We don't think you're clever, we just think you're a stuck up know-it-all.

2) "You study English? Oh, so you must have read..."
Yes I study English. Yes I have read a lot. But please, please don't presume that I have read every book to have ever been published; if anything it'll just make you feel uncomfortable when I tell you that I have never even heard of that particular book. It appears that anybody outside of a University English Department thinks that we just pick books at random from the library and choose to study them. Erm, no! Our modules are pretty tight about what we are supposed to read, and if you think that we have time for extracurricular reading then you are very, very wrong.

3)  "Oh I love that movie!"
Oh, erm, actually I was talking about the book... *Cue awkward silence*. I'm not a snob and I understand that not everybody enjoys to read. Yet I do find it incredibly difficult when people over the age of 15 don't know that The Great Gatsby is one of America's finest pieces of literature and not just "some Leo DiCaprio movie about a rich guy". It makes me despair in all honesty.

4) Other students telling us that we don't do a real degree
Seriously? So I don't do Maths or Quantum Mechanics or Medicine; I'd love to see all those people write an essay on the comedic value of pathos and misfortune in Nabakov, or deciphering and then analysing medieval texts. So to anybody who says that English isn't a real degree - fuck off.

5) Reading...
(The books that we are supposed to). I know this sounds insane and contradictory, but at the end of the day students will be students and do the bare minimum that they need to to get that coveted 2:1. We chose English degrees due to our love and passion of books, yet when somebody tells us that we have to read a novel? Yeah... it aint gonna happen, especially when more often than not you only need to write on three novels max. per module. Therefore, we have all experienced the damning silence of a seminar full of hungover students who have not even bothered to buy the book. Thankfully, there's generally one person (who tends to be fresh as a daisy) who may as well be having a one on one discussion with the tutor. To those people, the rest of us simultaneously despise and salute you.

Post First Shift Review

Hey everyone,

So it has been a fretful and exciting few days. I landed myself my first job since leaving uni - I'm waitressing at an Italian restaurant. It isn't anything towards my big dreams of Publishing but it's something to tide me over until I get there! Plus its a great earner in regards to my holiday planning so I can't complain really.

I've never waited on tables before so I've been really nervous in the run up to my first shift, and although I felt like a bit of a plonker at times I think I could get the hang of it. To be honest though, working with the public is a great thing to whack onto your CV;
                                                           Showing that you can handle difficult people and make customers happy is great experience for any type of career, and employers will (or should!) be impressed by this. A lot of employees have to deal with challenging people every day in their work life, and so by showing that you can handle the pressure, you're in turn proving that you are right for the job!

Anyway, I just wanted to share the encouraging news with all you guys!

Bye bye,
Ally X

There's no place like home...

For many, Dorothy's famous words are the absolute truth. But for us recent graduates, home isn't as easily defined as one might think. I'm back in my hometown, in the house that I've lived in for 13 years, and yes it does feel like home. I mean, it is my home. But I have also spent the last 3 years living across the country making a life for myself with my boyfriend and friends. Suddenly this was ripped away from me, and though I'm more than grateful for having a loving place to come back to, home just isn't as appealing anymore. My freedom has been stripped, my love is miles away and I may never see half of my friends again. It's clear to see why your student days are the best days of your life, and I can't help but feel melancholy thinking about losing it all. 

The hardest part is being away from my boyfriend... Seeing each other once a month at most is the most difficult thing. I have to hold back the tears whenever I think about the distance and how much my heart aches from missing him. We have grand plans to one day move in together and more, and although I have no doubt that this will happen, it's hard when you're struggling to find a job and to save up money for this eventual future. 

Coming from the perspective of an English grad, I know how hard it is to base yourself in a career. Unless you're a miracle worker, publishing and journalism is an absolute fortress to break into, and for all those wondering the inevitable... NO! I do not wish to become an English teacher. No doubt my next few blog posts will be me moaning about finding work in a desolate, god-forsaken town where unemployment is strife, so apologies in advance. 

Peace,

Ally. X