I did not begin my college career as an English and Communication major. When I came to TU as a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed freshman, I was dead set on an Economics major and a pre-law concentration. While law school may still be looming in my future, the picture is not as clear as it used to be. I think I probably went through the possibilities of 8 or 10 different majors before settling on English. With my parents pushing me for a (what they call) 'useful' degree, English was not even in my peripheral vision. Last semester, I took a class called Beyond Bella, an English course cross-listed with Women and Gender Studies. It was that class, and partially Dr. Stevens, that prompted my search of possible careers utilizing an English degree and consequent decision to pursue a career in publishing and/or editing.
My experience with being an English major thus far has been a bit exasperating. When I tell someone my major is English, usually the first respone out of their mouth is, "Oh, so you want to be a teacher?" Now, I have nothing against English teachers; I just know that I would be terrible and it is a bit frustrating that most people only think an English degree is useful to teachers.
When using technology, I have realized that I actually tend to think less, especially when I'm reading an ebook. For some reason, it is much easier for me to read an entire paragraph or page and not remember what it was about when I am reading on an iPad. Yes, e-readers are much more convenient than actual books, but I definitely prefer the sturdy paper pages over an illuminated screen. Even if I'm not reading, it is so easy to use technology for brainless entertainment, and even though I know it's not productive, it's still a little addicting (YouTube definitely). Regardless, I know I will continue reading on my iPad and watching YouTube videos about sneezing pandas, hilarious cats, and zombie kids that like turtles.
Comments
Hope Forsyth
Thu, 08/28/2014 - 00:48
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I definitely have the same
I definitely have the same experience with difficulty remembering what I read on a screen. It's easy to let the machine think for you when using technology (I've used Google for elementary-school-level math just because I didn't want to think through was 9x3 or whatever was - not good), whereas I feel more present and engaged when reading a paper book or doing things by hand.
Also, the sneezing baby panda video is my favorite. Have you seen the sneezing baby elephant?
Katie Boul
Thu, 08/28/2014 - 11:01
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I hear you on the "you want
I hear you on the "you want to be a teacher?" comment. As it so happens, I DO want to teach high school English; however, that does not mean that teaching is my only career path. At an engineering school though, where a significant number of seniors have jobs lined up by the end of the fall semester, an English degree can be a tough sell.
Jerusha Blankenship
Thu, 08/28/2014 - 15:29
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I appreciate your clever
I appreciate your clever title and agree with your thoughts on technology. I also find that though technology gives us easier access to texts, it feels more distant when viewed through a screen.