Hello everyone!
I’ve recently been going through a dilemma of what to major in. I’ve been attending community college for a year and a half and plan on transferring by the fall of 2018. I’m currently an English major, but I’ve been thinking of applying as a comparative literature major for transfer. I have determined that I want to double major in a literary field and international studies, but I’m not sure which literary area to pursue. Although I have loved my time studying English, I feel that Comparative Literature might complement a major in International Studies a bit better. However, I also have my doubts about majoring in Comparative Literature since my grasp of foreign languages is a bit lacking. I studied Spanish for four years in high school and took the AP Spanish Language and Literature exam as well, but it’s been two years since I took a Spanish class so my skills are a bit rusty. I also started learning Arabic in fall 2017, but my school and the schools around it only offer elementary Arabic. Once I transfer, I’d like to take a variety of courses on Literature not written in English, including Arabic, Spanish, French, and Greek literature, but I will most likely have to take these courses in English rather than in their original language. Of course, I’d like to take some British/American literature courses as well. Additionally, I would like to concentrate or minor in creative writing, but unfortunately some schools only offer that option for English majors. As for my career plans, I am open to working in journalism, publishing, editing, translating, and NGO/humanitarian organizations. Which major would suit my interests more favorably? Would it be more beneficial to major in English and concentrate in Comparative Literature rather than majoring in it?
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As a currently English Major, I would suggest English simply because it doesn’t limit you the way that Comparative Literature does. Comparative Literature courses here are essentially just literature in foreign languages with an English translation. They aren’t more in depth than that. You will have to complete either Foreign Language courses or foreign literature in translation courses (all comparative literature courses fall under this category) as part of your major anyway, so it’s really not worth it.
See my explanation on the difference here: http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/20952356#Comment_20952356
The English major however, is VERY competitive. My suggestion is to apply for American Cultures and then switch to English because you have better odds of getting in. Comparative Literature would really like to see a strong interest in languages followed with high grades in those particular courses so that might be a bit harder to swing.
Creative writing here isn’t a major but a concentration and you have to be admitted to each class based on your writing. It’s very competitive as well so that’s an option but I wouldn’t really do it based on what you said your career interests are. Just keep it as a hobby or join the many writing organizations and clubs on campus.
An English major gives you the most flexibility. Minors and concentrations are really irrelevant unless it significantly augments your resume which comparative literature wouldn’t. You would need to minor in a foreign language to really do that.
I don’t have a minor (used to and it was Classics) but I dropped it because I’m studying for the LSAT and I’m in 3 honors programs so my plate is full. Plus it’s not relevant for the emphasis in law school that I am applying for. Granted, I’m a straight A student but my point is not to feel the pressure of declaring or even worrying about a minor. There’s a difference between loving the subject and loving getting grades in the subject.
The English workload is very heavy. I read on average, 1000 pages a week which means with the first month of the quarter over, I’ve read on average over 4,000 pages. So just try to keep that in mind with the quarter system’s speed. You also get mainly papers and you’re lucky to get a midterm and a final. So if you perform horribly on a paper you basically have 2 chances left to pass.
Not meant to scare you but just to tell you what it’s actually like.
We’d love to have more English students! Hope I helped and feel free to reach out with any questions you might have.
@Oldngray Thank you so much for your thorough answer! I am a prospective transfer to UCLA so it is extremely helpful. The American Cultures program seems to be a good option. I also really appreciate you mentioning the workload every quarter. I am on a semester system, so it will be a bit challenging to adapt to a quarter-based year, but I believe I can handle it.
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So glad I could help, although I just now noticed a typo (or two) in my response lol!
My biggest suggestion is force yourself to do homework at least 2 hours a day. On a semester, you can take a weekend or a few days off and still make it up later. On a quarter system, you can’t. Not even on the weekends. Because it’s way too easy to skip a day or two and then be behind. On average, I’m reading (and mind you, I’m taking 3 full English classes, so it’s a bit different) 1500 pages a week. On average for English majors it’s about 1,000 pages per week. That doesn’t include papers and quizzes. So just make sure that you stay on top of it everyday, even on the weekend and it’s not so overwhelming.
Another tip is to try to take classes with books that you can check out from the library to save money.