Book two of the Nevernight Chronicle, I was enthralled, horrified, and incredibly intrigued by the first book. I have really high hopes for it, and as I read the first book a few years ago (hard to believe it was already a few years ago), I'm ready to explore this world of assassin boarding schools and vengeance.

The major

The worst feeling is finishing your first week of classes and learning that you have three short essays due a week, four 10-page final papers, and so much reading you have no time for your own. Rather than getting all of your general education classes out of the way as someone in another major might, take some of your major-specific courses every semester and some of your university-required courses every semester. 

If you don't already have a plan in mind for after graduation, speak with your advisor about possible paths that interest you. This resource is so underused for English majors. There are so many different ways to use and English degree and your advisor can point you to credible resources. Also, consider a certificate program through your school early on to advance a specialization. I wish that I had looked into certifications earlier on so I could broaden my scope of careers--areas that interested me were education, library science, and dietary science.

Not only will they help make sure you're on track for graduation, but they will also help you find classes you didn't know existed or help you get into classes that are full. Sometimes there's nothing you can do about a full class, but it doesn't hurt to try! And this tip isn't limited to academic advisors. I frequently email financial aid advisors, advisors for other colleges within the university, library advisors anytime I have a question no matter how small. It's better to ask an easy question and know the answer than not ask and wonder.

The readings 

English classes have a lot of assigned reading, that's not a secret. But you don't have to read every single text that you're told to. You will be able to judge what you need to do and what you don't for the course, and often times just learning about a book and its history and listening to in-class discussions is a great supplement to reading the actual book. That's not to say don't read a required text because it doesn't interest you, always give it a try, but if you don't have time for it or you just can't bring yourself to do it, listen to yourself.

There's often a lot of hidden themes and momentum in a work that isn't readily available in most course discussions. There is a wealth of background information found in the history of the work's time period. Learning about the time period, genre, or author's history often provides context that takes the book a level deeper and can lead to more complex paper theses.

Reading is likely already a passion of yours if you're an English major, but it's important for in-class discussion to comprehend every section of reading. Details and context mean a lot when discussing themes and characters. Try to highlight at least two or three things that caught your attention that you would like to mention in class.

The organization 

In a planner, bullet journal, desk or wall calendar write out what you have due each week and when you should have readings done by for the entire semester. Set time aside to add detail to it and personalize it, and find an attractive place to document it that makes you happy to look at it and use it. Use this to track your progress in each class all in one place so you know when you need to work ahead to alleviate work in busier weeks.

In addition to a planner, I also keep a running to-do list for the week. I find that having these two checkpoints where I have written and scheduled each assignment, class, errand leaves little room for me to miss something. It also allows me be aware of what I have coming in the future or later in the week so I can account for how much time I'm going to have then--if I need to start on something earlier than I thought, I'm aware of that.

Thinking about midterm and final papers early on leads you to composing theses and ideas while still reading a text. If you're sure that is what you want to do the paper on and maybe you've talked about the idea with your professor, start it then while the text is still fresh in your mind.