So you’re considering the English major, or maybe you’ve already officially declared it as your major. Either way, I’m so excited for you! I just happen to be an English major, too! If you’re looking for more information about Cedarville’s English degree, such as career options, check out this page on the University’s website. In the meantime, I’ll give you a more personalized sneak peek.
You Get to Read Stories
Yes, it’s true, there’s a lot of reading in the English major, especially since about half the classes English majors are required to take are literature classes. But if you love reading literature, a lot of it won’t even feel like homework. I’ve read works such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Canterbury Tales, Beowulf, Jane Eyre (one of my favorite novels!), and many more which I’ve absolutely loved!
One of the perks about the English major is that there’s no set order in which you have to take your classes. Yes, the academic catalog lists First-Year Seminar as a prerequisite to Literary Analysis, and it’s recommended that you take both classes as early as possible during your 1000 Days, but other than that, you can pretty much organize your four-year plan in whatever way works for you. Just keep in mind that many classes are only offered one semester a year. Check the academic catalog to determine what classes are offered when.
Cedarville University requires students to take at least 128 credits to graduate. However, the English major provides some extra room for you to explore other subjects or take more elective literature classes after your core requirements are finished. For example, between the Bible Minor, my gen-ed requirements, and my major requirements, I was only at around 105 credits. I still had 20 or so credits free to explore other courses. I took my mother’s advice and added the Biblical Care and Counseling Minor, and I have also been able to take a few extra classes for fun, such as The English Novel. Last semester, in addition to The English Novel, I also took Writing for Digital Media, a class offered by the Department of Communications, to expose myself to another kind of writing from what I learned in my major.
If you have room in your schedule, I would highly recommend taking Writing for Digital Media, Styles and Mechanics for Writers, and other writing classes offered by other departments to expose yourself to a variety of writing settings and careers, especially if you’re unsure what you want to do with your degree once you graduate. There are a variety of writing classes in the Professional Writing and Information Design major that I’d definitely recommend to you. The fact that you can explore all the things you love and learn what you do and don’t want to pursue for your career with these extra credits is a great reason to choose the English major.
Write to Your Heart’s Content
Yep, you guessed it. There’s a good deal of writing in the English major as well. You’ll write everything from a journal response to a reading assignment to a paper defending a way to read a work of literature. As I’ve also heard others say, you learn how to think and communicate more deeply in this major. And if you get stuck, one of the excellent tutors at The Writing Center would love to help you, or you could talk to your classmates or the professor of the class the assignment is for. I’ve visited The Writing Center for many papers I’ve had to write, and all my experiences have been excellent! They can help you brainstorm topics, organize an outline, or even just serve as a second pair of eyes to look at a rough draft.
If you declare English as your major, you will also choose a concentration. If you’re interested in writing and publishing stories, I highly recommend taking the Creative Writing concentration. At the end, you get to write a creative project of your choice in preparation to get it published! Other concentrations include Literary Studies, Rhetoric and Composition, and Cross-Disciplinary Studies, which is basically a chance to take 15 credits of courses from another discipline, and there’s also a concentration option that will help you prepare to go on for an MBA.
Our Community
Every department at Cedarville University has a unique community, and the Department of English, Literature, and Modern Languages is no exception. Each semester, students and faculty of the department gather for a fun event of food, games, and fellowship. In the fall, it’s the Fall Kick-Off party, and in the spring, it’s the Souper Bowl soup dinner. Our department also runs several student organizations, including the French club, the German club, and Inklings, the creative writing club. These orgs aren’t just for students studying English, German, French, or any other degree the department offers. Students of all majors are involved in all of these orgs. If you want to get involved in these orgs or are curious about other student orgs Cedarville offers, you can find more information on the Student Organizations page.
One thing that has been said about Cedarville University as a whole is that your professors truly care about you as a person. They challenge you to put your best effort into everything because they truly do want you to learn and succeed. I highly encourage you to get to know your professors, especially when you take their classes, because they truly do care about you, and in my experience, are more than willing to mentor you academically and spiritually. The same goes for your classmates, who will encourage you and help you through the hardest moments of your college academics. It’s been said that students find friends for life at Cedarville, and your classmates could be some of these friends if you get to know them!
Though it’s not the largest major at Cedarville, English is a unique and exciting field of study. I think one reason I love to study literature so much is because I love stories. I love reading stories, writing stories, telling my own life story, and listening to people share their personal life stories. Storytelling is a way each of us can use our God-given creativity and reflect the true Creator of the universe. I’m also so thankful for the community I have with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who, like me, also enjoy literature and writing.
I’m graduating in May, so I don’t know if I’ll ever get to meet you, but I wish you all the best as you take this next step in your college journey.
Major and Year of Graduation: English, Class of 2025
Favorite Study Spot: Commuter Lounge in the Apple Technology Resource Center
Favorite Music Artist: Jeremy Camp, For King & Country
Favorite Quote: It’s hard to pick a favorite, but one of my favorites is, “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.”-Christopher Robin in Pooh’s Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin
What do You Like to do in Your Free Time? Reading, writing, cooking, baking, playing the piano, playing the guitar, spending time with friends and family, visiting coffee shops and bookstores.
Favorite Bible Verse: Psalm 23
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