I chose to major in English (Secondary Education) because I always had a passion for it. I enjoy reading and writing, I find that I express myself the best when I write. Writing has always been a soothing method for me. When it comes to reading, especially reading a topic that really interests me, I find that I have a very difficult time putting the book down. There’s just something about it that I find so fascinating. In high school, I had the same teacher my freshman and junior year. She was a fantastic teacher, really loved the subject, and it was obvious she enjoyed teaching it. Her style of teaching really made me fall in love with the subject. We would read the assigned books, have class discussions, and participate in activities that would help us remember what we had just read. I also found that I excelled in English while I struggled in my math and science classes. English came to me more easily, I always felt as though it was more important to learn just because there are so many branches to English. After the basics in math and science, I just found myself getting lost and thinking, “When am I ever going to use this stuff?” Approaching the subject with an open mind has always worked out in my benefit. When it comes to reading poems, it’s ok to have your own views and opinions on what was just read. Most poems are up for interpretation which I find most exciting. There is no right or wrong. There is much more for me to learn, and I realize that I will always need to improve my writing, but I like the fact that there is always something more to learn to help me improve my work.

In past English classes that I have taken, we had focused on Shakespeare, Morrison, Dostoevsky, Dickens, and many more. In one of my English classes that I had taken last semester, we studied monsters and two pieces that we read were Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Beowulf. They both were very interesting and very much alike. You had to use your imagination while reading the pieces and because there is a lot of background information, the stories were very easy to believe and enjoy. Each author is very different and have their own ways of writing. Each literary work I have read have all been different and have all been able to capture my mind and make me think. I’m not really sure which authors seem to be conspicuously absent, maybe later down the road after studying English a little more in depth I’ll be able to tell.

Studying English has taught me many different things. I mentioned it earlier, but I love the fact that a group of people reading the same piece of literature, can have a completely different interpretation than the person sitting next to them. It’s interesting to see how others think and being able to learn from their interpretations is a great building block. I’ve learned that you sometimes need to re-read what you just read to get a better understanding of what is being discussed. I’ve also learned that the best thing to do when writing a paper is to go back and revise your paper as much as you can, it will only help in the end. There’s still a lot more to learn, but hopefully I’ll have my own class one day, teaching others everything I’ve learned through my English courses.