Habit 1: Read everything.
Read the
syllabus. Read it again. Pore through it. Investigate the syllabus not only for
sense and due dates but for grammatical clarity. Read every assigned reading,
investing yourself fully in the topic for better understanding. If you are
feeling ambitious, read the extra reading. If you don’t care about sleep, look
up extra readings on your own online, in databases, and at the library. Your
favorite hobbies should include reading. It doesn’t matter what you read—you can
read comic books, graphic novels, essays, newspaper articles, journal articles,
blogs, novels, nonfiction books, children’s books, anything with a medal
attached to it, and so on and so forth. The main rule of thumb is the more [books you read], the merrier [you
and your professors will be]! Also buy books on a regular basis.
Habit 2: Highlight and make extensive notes on everything.
Mark on the
syllabus with pencils, pens, and highlighters. Write in your textbook(s) with
the same. Invest in sticky notes, notebooks, notecards, pencils, erasers, pens,
fine-tip Sharpies, legal pads, copy paper, mini-notebooks, and those little
note pads that are kind of like large sticky notes without the stickiness. Use
all of these tools regularly.
Habit 3: Carry the above tools and a book with you at all times. No Exceptions.
If you are a
woman, buy an extra-large purse/bag and a pencil case so that you can carry one
or two books, twenty pencils, a pad of paper, sticky notes, a highlighter, two
pens, and two Sharpies at all times in case of emergencies. Men, you may have
to be more creative. Maybe stick five pens in your pocket and secrete other
tools in your jacket as needed. Briefcases are also a viable option.
Habit 4: Write in your spare time.
What spare time?
Oh, that spare time—right between my spare tire and that unexplained lime in
the back seat. Anyway, write in your journal. Write book reviews. Write blog
posts. Write analytical essays for fun. Doodle in your notebook. Jot down notes
about anything and everything. Scribble ideas for the Great American Novel on a
sticky note (refer to Habits 2 and 3). Write on your calendar. Write in the
margins of the textbook/article/novel that you are currently reading. Write
lengthy posts on Facebook. Tweet smaller posts on Twitter. Write.
Habit 5: Study grammar devotedly and become an expert.
Become an expert
on comma usage. Develop a firm and unyielding opinion about the Oxford Comma
and The Comma That Must Not Be Named.
Make a vow in a dark room at midnight with a ring of candles around you that
you will wage war on the dreaded comma splice until it is eradicated from the
face of the earth. Understand the correct usage of the sentence fragment
(hahahaha!). Read Eats, Shoots and Leaves
and recommend it to all of your friends, family, acquaintances, and enemies.
Habit 6: Obsessively analyze everything.
It doesn’t
matter if it is a professionally made video, a published book, a journal
article, a YouTube video, a newspaper post, or a blog. No matter how you
experience something, always analyze it. Is it well researched? Is it well
written/produced? If it is a movie, how well does it follow the book and where
does it deviate? Are the deviations bad or good? (Answer: Deviations should
almost always be expunged from your memory.) How is it organized? If it is
written, does the author ever use alliteration, assonance, figures of speech,
or other literary devices? If it is a song, what is the rhyme scheme and how
well does it fit? What meter and rhythm is the poem or song? What sort of rhyme
does the song/poem use?
Habit 7: Study logic, Greek, and Latin.
Logic is an
essential tool for everyone, but if you are an English major, all of your
essays will demand at least a smidgen of logical thought. You can get
relatively short logic courses and take them on your own to get ahead! (If you
studied grammar on your own, you can study logic on your own.) As far as Greek
and Latin go, if you don’t want to learn the languages, at least learn some of
the root words. If you are feeling ambitious, also study some of the other languages
that are related to English.
Habit 7.5: Appreciate puns and wordplay.
All wordplay, if
done in good taste, is hilarious. This is true almost without exception. Furthermore,
the best games are word games. Such games include Scrabble, Boggle, crossword
puzzles, Scrabble Slam, Pathwords, Word Search, and related games.
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