Undergraduate Study in the Humanities:12 Basic Tips for Success
Be conscious of the tasks you have taken on by enrolling in a course; proactively seek out whatever is necessary to make them happen (including with lateness, absence, and extensions). Don’t count on the instructor to babysit or chase you down. Make your presence known at Office Hours. Read handouts thoroughly and attentively, especially syllabi and essay assignments (or, in the case of my classes, course websites). Reread essay assignments three times during the writing process, and ask any clarifying questions as they arise.
Take care of yourself and be kind to yourself. Never, ever, let schoolwork get in the way of your ability to maintain a sensible eating and sleeping schedule. All-nighters and cramming is simply not sustainable, and you won’t realize you’re paying the price until it’s too late. Your body and mind, even now, can’t handle the kind of super-studying abuse you might have put it through in high school; the critical thinking required at university always favors the student who is well-rested, aware, fully awake, and (yes) enjoying life. (See here for more.)
You and your instructor are humans. Regardless of the subject: if you speak to, email, or write for your instructor like he or she is a robot, a statistic, a litigator, or requirement, expect the same treatment—or worse—in return. If you treat your instructor like a rulebook or file, you will be filed away. Just talk to us. We’re all fellow scholars. (See here for more.)
Be courteous. Be classy. In all your dealings, behave in a way in which you can hold your head high.
Don’t follow a rule, even the smallest one, unless you know why you’re following it. Don’t break a rule, even the smallest one, until you have actively sought answers about why it’s there. For one thing, you’ll never remember the little rules unless you understand why they’re there. If you can’t figure out why they’re there, come to Office Hours or ask in class.
Expect respect. Not everyone at university—or in the world—will view you as a peer, especially those who are in superior positions to you in an education or job environment. Make it clear from the get-go that you are a mature, critical thinker, and that you should be taken seriously. Make your wording and demeanor appropriate for university-level discourse (but don’t overdo or fake it). Choose clarity over cleverness. In your writing and your participation, never try to show how smart you are—just communicate. Avoid unnecessary wording, cuteness, puns, and rhetorical flourishes. Put forward your point in the simplest and most direct terms that you can bring to mind. Instructors (who read many indirectly and confusingly written papers at a time!) will see your straightforward work as a welcome breath of clear air.
Give full citation and credit to any material you use or consult in developing your work. Every sentence constitutes an individual thought — so citations must be renewed after every period. If you paraphrase, quote, or consult anything or anyone outside of your own brain as you write (this includes all internet content and in some cases even the casual help provided by friends or instructors), acknowledge that source according to MLA standard. When in doubt, over-cite—not only to avoid plagiarism, but primarily to make your own innovations clear (click here for more).
Precision is powerful. “It is often said that,” “in modern society,” “at that time”: all necessarily imprecise (click here for more).
Never turn in any written work, for any purpose, until you’ve had a friend or mentor read over it once. Even better, try reading aloud to someone, or having that person read your work aloud to you—wherever the reader stutters or pauses, consider rewording. Reading aloud by yourself is an acceptable substitute, but having a real person there makes a major difference — try it.
Follow, or at least address, your editor’s comments. Make it clear to your instructor, even if it’s in an attached email or cover letter, what changes you have made and what you’ve learned.
Read George Orwell’s “Politics and the English Language.” All of it. It’s short, quick, and clear. Pay special attention to the six rules at the end (or take a look at my update/expansion of those rules, by clicking here).
Read for pleasure, and attend campus lectures. Frequent reading will make you a better writer, proofreader, and critical thinker, and the lectures will give you a sense of the discussions between advanced scholars at this school—so that you can join that discussion effectively.