This was such a comforting video. Sometimes it's hard to know if majoring in English was the right choice, or if I should have picked something else, but I loved how you phrased it: People pick English not because they love English, but because they have many passions and English is the vehicle to get those ideas out there. That's why I choose English. It is an incredibly nuanced and personal major, and you reminded me how valuable it truly is. Hello from a UCSB English major, and thank you so much for this wonderful video!
Hi! I’m glad you resonated with my video. I grew up hearing that if I studied literature I was going to starve and be unhappy. But the pursuit of literature made me so happy that I can only encourage others to follow their true passion. It is a ver personal major, and people who don’t experience think it is the wrong choice, but the decision is all ours to do whatever we want of out degree and life. Have a beautiful new year, and I hope I see you in the comments again :)
i’m starting uni as an eng lit student next month , i was nervous bc i didn’t know if majoring in english in the right choice , but this helped a lot and i cant wait honestly !
hey! i just discovered your channel and this video comforted me so much. i’m an english major at my university and i had (have) imposter syndrome my first year. i was the only freshman in one of my english courses last semester and i didnt speak much during class discussions because i was nervous and thought everyone around me was smarter, even when the professor praised my essays and was super accommodating. your video and tips are helping me a lot and giving me confidence for this coming semester. i will definitely use them! :) thank you so much!
No! impostor syndrome is the worst, but in orientation they really try to remind you "you belong here" which was what I was holding on to in my moments of stress. You'll be fine
I'm glad! Picking the right major is very important while looking for the best school, but if you are unsure, you can look for common themed majors that have things that interest you. Like if you are more attracted to the humanities you can think what part of it is more appealing to you and take some courses on the side to see if that's what you would like doing
This is just the video I was looking for. I’m planning to transfer in English and UC Berkeley is one of the universities I’m interested in. I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to major in English but I’m starting to become confident that this is what I want to go for. Thank you, such great advice and you’re an inspiration to many!
I love your advice it's useful as English Major. I'm currently taking an English major from the Philippines. My first year is too hard for me to accept the judgements and failures from some of my classes but after watching your video I realized I not alone experiencing failures and negative judgements are part of the journey to be English Major.
I’m glad this helped you! Yes I think that it doesn’t matter the major, university is going to be difficult and challenging to everyone, and realizing that is going to help you be honest with yourself and see what you need to improve without feeling bad about it. It is inevitable, we all need to improve in something but doesn’t mean we are less capable of achieving what we want. I’m sending you a big hug to the Philippines and thanks for watching 🍁
Isabel, I just discovered your channel a couple days ago and I’m in love 🥺 I’m currently a sociology major hoping to transfer to a university sometime next spring however I’ve always wanted to major in English but shied away from it out of fear and hearing people say it was a useless degree. Recently, I’ve made the decision to finally pursue my true passion. With this video, you really helped affirm my decision in this and even though I’m still a bit scared, you gave me the encouragement I needed to go after what I love
Omg I’m so honored to have contributed to you following your true passion! I’m sure you will succeed and I hope your transition goes smoothly! I just uploaded some study tips! Congratulations on your decision and thank you for liking my content! 💕
Thank you, Isabel, for this video. As a current high school student who is interested in majoring in English at UCB, this is exactly what I needed to...get myself in the right direction ya know? I loved all of your points on classes, writing, and personal accounts. You’ve really inspired me and I congratulate you on your successes!
Hi! I just got into UC Berkeley as a transfer for English and this is the only video I’ve seen so thank you so much for making this! I’ve been very nervous about being an English major because I was originally a Comp Lit Major (I love reading English with culture studies), but can’t complete it in time for graduation so I need to switch to English. I really don’t like writing analytical essays or reading classics--I’m more of a creative writer. So, I want to see if UCB is still worth it for me. I have a few questions: 1. How many essays do you usually have in your classes/how many pages are they approximately (I want to get an idea how of the rigor and how it compares to my current classes)? 2. Did you feel like you had time for a social life while taking the English Major or did you feel your time was more consumed by essays and readings and feel more overwhelmed than in community college? 3. Are the English classes graded really hard-I know STEM majors say the grading is brutal for them but I’m not sure how the teachers there grade essays or English assignments? 4. I’m missing half a lower division class for the English Major so I was wondering if you can still take a lower division classes? 5. How long are English classes usually? 6. Do you feel like the English Major leaves space for a minor like in Creative Writing or other major extracurricular activities? 7. And finally, (sorry for all the questions haha I just really relate to your experience and wanted your advice), Do you have a suggestion of how many credits to take per semester to avoid being overwhelmed by reading and essays? Thanks for you time!! :)) this is a HUGE help
Oh I am so sorry that I am only seeing this now, but here it goes. First, congratulations. Second, if you don't like critical essays maybe you should consider changing majors to creative writing or doing a double major. 1-.You usually have 2 to 3 essays per class or it can be a long essay at the end (like for a seminar class, which is a requisite for graduating from the English department) it is a 14 to 20 pg essay that you do for a research seminar. For regular classes the essays could be 4, 6,8 to 10 pages depending on the professor. But they are usually more than 3 pages. However, Berkeley is very much about the quality of the writing than the length. If you stay in English and decide to go for honours then the thesis is 45 to 65 pages long. The comparative lit department also has like 2 to 3 essays per class or a longer one. For me, the amount of essays or the length was not very strange compared to what i was already doing at my cc 2-.I am not a very social person, but during my time at berkeley I did a major, a minor, had a 20 hour job and cultivated a relationship I am still in. I didn't have a lot of time for clubs and that is something I wish I did but it was mostly because I needed to work than because of school. Readings were always very manageable for me because I did them ahead and I love reading, but they are quite a lot can be easy become a lot if you leave them last minute. I did go out with my partner or just watched something with him during my free time, so of course you will have time to be social if that's what you want. 3-.Yes grades are a topic. For english and comparative literature classes the grade is not super straight forward and the professors and TA's have a high standard, so it is pretty difficult to just get As, you will have to push yourself to do your best writing and sometimes it will only get you a B. That was very frustrating for me but I still graduated with honours and it helped me a lot to be more critical with my writing. 4-. Yes, when you arrive there you need to see the english advisor and they will see what you need. To declare your major you need your lower divisions, so they will tell you what you still need to take to access the higher division courses. 5-. Classes are usually an 1 and a half and they are twice a week usually. Some lower division or big classes might have an extra discussion session every week. 6-. Yes the english major is a very flexible one and the majority of people do a double major or minor depending on how many semesters you want to be there. For example if i would have stayed a semester more I could have done a double major but I decided to stay only with the minor in comparative literature, which is what I am currently doing my masters on. Because you said you don't love reading or writing critical essays, i would discourage you to do comp lit because it is heavy on those areas plus the english load, so creative writing sound like a perfect solution for being creative. However i must tell you that creative writing is very selective in Berkeley so the moment you get there you better try to get in the waitlist and have some previous work ready because you need to apply for the classes by showing your work, just fyi. 7-. I would recommend you taking it kinda chill the first semester so you get used to the school. I usually took 4 to 5 classes plus my job. 4 classes would be 12 units, which is the normal, and 5 would be if you already have the hang of it and want to go fast. 3 for a first semester is what advisors usually recommend. Maybe you could take 2 english and 2 creative writing if you can so you balance them. I wouldn't take more than 3 English courses a semester because that could be overwhelming and try to take classes that are interesting to you but that are not that similar (example: medieval literature and post modernist, both are in the english department but are not similar, so if you need a break from one writing style you can switch to the other one) Again sorry for replying so late but I hope this can still help, don't hesitate on sending me an email if you need more info and want someone to talk to
great advice, I got chills when you said you proved yourself you belonged in Berkeley I'm glad you got a good grade in that class! I am settled on going to Berkeley but I was torn between UC Davis as a transfer because the campus is beautiful and just something I thought was that transfers in Davis are more welcomed. Was there a stigma as a transfer student in Berkeley?
I didn't see a stigma within my department (I don't know about others), but professors usually were very encouraging and keep saying that transfer students are usually better and more hard working than the average student, so I always felt good about it. There is also a transfer center in Berkeley that you can access to connect with others and share experiences. They also offer tutoring services and make events/workshops for adjusting in the UC system. I hope this information helps you and at the end of the day, no one is going to know you are a transfer student unless you say it. It is not something anyone will notice by looking at your work because we are as prepared than anyone else :D be proud of where you come from and be ready to learn
Hi Isabel!! I can totally relate with your experience, I also studied in Mexico and I'm currently in a community college. People also always are disappointed about me when I tell them I want to study books 😂. I'm also super organized as you are 😜 I'll be applying to transfer for fall 2022 this fall. Any tips for the application process?
Do you have any advice for transferring to uc berkeley from a community college. I'm starting this summer, and I really don't want to fuck this up because this is essentially my best shot at getting into berkeley.
Transfering is very straight forward (the requirements, the application, etc), but once you get there be focused! Many people will have different backgrounds and experiences that might contaminate yours (in a negative way). So be open for new friends and good people, but also vigilant of those that will distract you from your academic path. I believe that as transfer students we have a different mindset that might clash with others that (maybe) are not that driven. Best of luck and thanks for watching!
Hola isa! vi tu video y me encanto. Te cuento mi situación, yo soy de Argentina y estaba estudiando derecho porque acá no existe la carrera de inglés, pero este mes me decidí a dejar derecho para poder irme allá y estudiar mi carrera soñada. Es muy caro? Hay universidades públicas que la den?
Hola Martina, si, a mi parecer la Universidad en EUA es cara comparado con lo que se paga en una escuela publica en Mexico (que es donde yo crecí). La escuela a la que yo fui es una escuela publica, pero aun así tuve que pedir un préstamo. Como estudiante internacional es un costo diferente pero también existen becas para estudiantes internacionales dependiendo de la escuela. Me da mucho gusto que decidas ir por tus sueños y espero que este mensaje no te haga dudar. Si es lo que te va a hacer sentir plena, siempre debes de buscar la manera de lograrlo
I'm a transfer student, and I just found out that I got accepted at Berkeley. I'm an English major, I want to know if it's worth it going? I'm in between UCI & UCB
@@kianaleong9977 I got waitlisted for UCLA 🥲 I was so sad. I ended up choosing Berkeley! It was a tough decision but if you chosen already, wither choice is great 😊
I think it really is about personal preference and what type of English lit you are interested in, but Berkeley has the best English department and scores, so the classes won't disappoint.
This was such a comforting video. Sometimes it's hard to know if majoring in English was the right choice, or if I should have picked something else, but I loved how you phrased it: People pick English not because they love English, but because they have many passions and English is the vehicle to get those ideas out there. That's why I choose English. It is an incredibly nuanced and personal major, and you reminded me how valuable it truly is. Hello from a UCSB English major, and thank you so much for this wonderful video!
Hi! I’m glad you resonated with my video. I grew up hearing that if I studied literature I was going to starve and be unhappy. But the pursuit of literature made me so happy that I can only encourage others to follow their true passion. It is a ver personal major, and people who don’t experience think it is the wrong choice, but the decision is all ours to do whatever we want of out degree and life. Have a beautiful new year, and I hope I see you in the comments again :)
i’m starting uni as an eng lit student next month , i was nervous bc i didn’t know if majoring in english in the right choice , but this helped a lot and i cant wait honestly !
hey! i just discovered your channel and this video comforted me so much. i’m an english major at my university and i had (have) imposter syndrome my first year. i was the only freshman in one of my english courses last semester and i didnt speak much during class discussions because i was nervous and thought everyone around me was smarter, even when the professor praised my essays and was super accommodating. your video and tips are helping me a lot and giving me confidence for this coming semester. i will definitely use them! :) thank you so much!
Okay okay i dont okay i will be okay
This video is so helpful! I just found out I got into Berkeley as a transfer student and I'm already having imposter syndrome.
No! impostor syndrome is the worst, but in orientation they really try to remind you "you belong here" which was what I was holding on to in my moments of stress. You'll be fine
english major transfer student here, thank you for this video!!!
Transfers United! You are welcome, good luck in your studies
No conozco a nadie que haya estado mejor preparada para enfrentar todo por lo que pasaste (las dudas, las materias, los profesores) que tú ❤️
This video was so informative and uplifting! This video helped confirm that I'm definitely planning to choose the right major for me :) Thank you!
I'm glad! Picking the right major is very important while looking for the best school, but if you are unsure, you can look for common themed majors that have things that interest you. Like if you are more attracted to the humanities you can think what part of it is more appealing to you and take some courses on the side to see if that's what you would like doing
you're my new fav UA-camr, my queen :'))) I've been looking for a fellow Mexican on bookworm youtube!!
This is just the video I was looking for. I’m planning to transfer in English and UC Berkeley is one of the universities I’m interested in. I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to major in English but I’m starting to become confident that this is what I want to go for. Thank you, such great advice and you’re an inspiration to many!
Aww I love to hear that! I hope you love your time there as much as I did
I love your advice it's useful as English Major. I'm currently taking an English major from the Philippines. My first year is too hard for me to accept the judgements and failures from some of my classes but after watching your video I realized I not alone experiencing failures and negative judgements are part of the journey to be English Major.
I’m glad this helped you! Yes I think that it doesn’t matter the major, university is going to be difficult and challenging to everyone, and realizing that is going to help you be honest with yourself and see what you need to improve without feeling bad about it. It is inevitable, we all need to improve in something but doesn’t mean we are less capable of achieving what we want. I’m sending you a big hug to the Philippines and thanks for watching 🍁
Isabel, I just discovered your channel a couple days ago and I’m in love 🥺 I’m currently a sociology major hoping to transfer to a university sometime next spring however I’ve always wanted to major in English but shied away from it out of fear and hearing people say it was a useless degree. Recently, I’ve made the decision to finally pursue my true passion. With this video, you really helped affirm my decision in this and even though I’m still a bit scared, you gave me the encouragement I needed to go after what I love
Omg I’m so honored to have contributed to you following your true passion! I’m sure you will succeed and I hope your transition goes smoothly! I just uploaded some study tips! Congratulations on your decision and thank you for liking my content! 💕
I love this video; so uplifting and casual and honest. Thank you for this!
Thank you, I hope I helped you
Thank you very much for this video, I am an English Major student in Panama and I am currently needing a lot of motivation. ❤️
No girl, thank you! I am glad my experience motivates others. I loved what I studied, and I want others to love it too 💕 Good luck on your studies!
Best advice I've heard on the subject. Thank you!
You are welcome!
Thank you, Isabel, for this video. As a current high school student who is interested in majoring in English at UCB, this is exactly what I needed to...get myself in the right direction ya know? I loved all of your points on classes, writing, and personal accounts. You’ve really inspired me and I congratulate you on your successes!
You are welcome! I’m excited for you! I loved studying literature and I was so happy while in Berkeley, that I hope you have an amazing time 💕🥺
Thank u!!!
Hi! I just got into UC Berkeley as a transfer for English and this is the only video I’ve seen so thank you so much for making this!
I’ve been very nervous about being an English major because I was originally a Comp Lit Major (I love reading English with culture studies), but can’t complete it in time for graduation so I need to switch to English. I really don’t like writing analytical essays or reading classics--I’m more of a creative writer.
So, I want to see if UCB is still worth it for me. I have a few questions:
1. How many essays do you usually have in your classes/how many pages are they approximately (I want to get an idea how of the rigor and how it compares to my current classes)?
2. Did you feel like you had time for a social life while taking the English Major or did you feel your time was more consumed by essays and readings and feel more overwhelmed than in community college?
3. Are the English classes graded really hard-I know STEM majors say the grading is brutal for them but I’m not sure how the teachers there grade essays or English assignments?
4. I’m missing half a lower division class for the English Major so I was wondering if you can still take a lower division classes?
5. How long are English classes usually?
6. Do you feel like the English Major leaves space for a minor like in Creative Writing or other major extracurricular activities?
7. And finally, (sorry for all the questions haha I just really relate to your experience and wanted your advice), Do you have a suggestion of how many credits to take per semester to avoid being overwhelmed by reading and essays?
Thanks for you time!! :)) this is a HUGE help
Oh I am so sorry that I am only seeing this now, but here it goes. First, congratulations. Second, if you don't like critical essays maybe you should consider changing majors to creative writing or doing a double major.
1-.You usually have 2 to 3 essays per class or it can be a long essay at the end (like for a seminar class, which is a requisite for graduating from the English department) it is a 14 to 20 pg essay that you do for a research seminar. For regular classes the essays could be 4, 6,8 to 10 pages depending on the professor. But they are usually more than 3 pages. However, Berkeley is very much about the quality of the writing than the length. If you stay in English and decide to go for honours then the thesis is 45 to 65 pages long. The comparative lit department also has like 2 to 3 essays per class or a longer one. For me, the amount of essays or the length was not very strange compared to what i was already doing at my cc
2-.I am not a very social person, but during my time at berkeley I did a major, a minor, had a 20 hour job and cultivated a relationship I am still in. I didn't have a lot of time for clubs and that is something I wish I did but it was mostly because I needed to work than because of school. Readings were always very manageable for me because I did them ahead and I love reading, but they are quite a lot can be easy become a lot if you leave them last minute. I did go out with my partner or just watched something with him during my free time, so of course you will have time to be social if that's what you want.
3-.Yes grades are a topic. For english and comparative literature classes the grade is not super straight forward and the professors and TA's have a high standard, so it is pretty difficult to just get As, you will have to push yourself to do your best writing and sometimes it will only get you a B. That was very frustrating for me but I still graduated with honours and it helped me a lot to be more critical with my writing.
4-. Yes, when you arrive there you need to see the english advisor and they will see what you need. To declare your major you need your lower divisions, so they will tell you what you still need to take to access the higher division courses.
5-. Classes are usually an 1 and a half and they are twice a week usually. Some lower division or big classes might have an extra discussion session every week.
6-. Yes the english major is a very flexible one and the majority of people do a double major or minor depending on how many semesters you want to be there. For example if i would have stayed a semester more I could have done a double major but I decided to stay only with the minor in comparative literature, which is what I am currently doing my masters on. Because you said you don't love reading or writing critical essays, i would discourage you to do comp lit because it is heavy on those areas plus the english load, so creative writing sound like a perfect solution for being creative. However i must tell you that creative writing is very selective in Berkeley so the moment you get there you better try to get in the waitlist and have some previous work ready because you need to apply for the classes by showing your work, just fyi.
7-. I would recommend you taking it kinda chill the first semester so you get used to the school. I usually took 4 to 5 classes plus my job. 4 classes would be 12 units, which is the normal, and 5 would be if you already have the hang of it and want to go fast. 3 for a first semester is what advisors usually recommend. Maybe you could take 2 english and 2 creative writing if you can so you balance them. I wouldn't take more than 3 English courses a semester because that could be overwhelming and try to take classes that are interesting to you but that are not that similar (example: medieval literature and post modernist, both are in the english department but are not similar, so if you need a break from one writing style you can switch to the other one)
Again sorry for replying so late but I hope this can still help, don't hesitate on sending me an email if you need more info and want someone to talk to
omg, no 5 - i should have known this at the start of my studies. this is worth gold! thanks so much for this enlightening video
No problem!
i love you :) so much fun listening to you talking about my major :) i study english in germany...
Thank you! We all love to talk about literature in this channel so feel free to do so 💕 And Germany is great, I am currently in Switzerland 🇨🇭
great advice, I got chills when you said you proved yourself you belonged in Berkeley I'm glad you got a good grade in that class! I am settled on going to Berkeley but I was torn between UC Davis as a transfer because the campus is beautiful and just something I thought was that transfers in Davis are more welcomed. Was there a stigma as a transfer student in Berkeley?
I didn't see a stigma within my department (I don't know about others), but professors usually were very encouraging and keep saying that transfer students are usually better and more hard working than the average student, so I always felt good about it. There is also a transfer center in Berkeley that you can access to connect with others and share experiences. They also offer tutoring services and make events/workshops for adjusting in the UC system. I hope this information helps you and at the end of the day, no one is going to know you are a transfer student unless you say it. It is not something anyone will notice by looking at your work because we are as prepared than anyone else :D be proud of where you come from and be ready to learn
luv ur channel!! U r so smart and beautiful
Thank you so much, new video in a few hours 😌
its my fav. youtube video, dope.
Welcome to the channel, you are very kind 😌
Hi Isabel!! I can totally relate with your experience, I also studied in Mexico and I'm currently in a community college. People also always are disappointed about me when I tell them I want to study books 😂. I'm also super organized as you are 😜
I'll be applying to transfer for fall 2022 this fall. Any tips for the application process?
This is such a great video
Thanks Polina!
A very enlightening video :) Thank you so much! Also, your resilience in failure is admirable, but what your professor said to you is so fucked up.
Do you have any advice for transferring to uc berkeley from a community college. I'm starting this summer, and I really don't want to fuck this up because this is essentially my best shot at getting into berkeley.
Transfering is very straight forward (the requirements, the application, etc), but once you get there be focused! Many people will have different backgrounds and experiences that might contaminate yours (in a negative way). So be open for new friends and good people, but also vigilant of those that will distract you from your academic path. I believe that as transfer students we have a different mindset that might clash with others that (maybe) are not that driven. Best of luck and thanks for watching!
Hola isa! vi tu video y me encanto. Te cuento mi situación, yo soy de Argentina y estaba estudiando derecho porque acá no existe la carrera de inglés, pero este mes me decidí a dejar derecho para poder irme allá y estudiar mi carrera soñada. Es muy caro? Hay universidades públicas que la den?
Hola Martina, si, a mi parecer la Universidad en EUA es cara comparado con lo que se paga en una escuela publica en Mexico (que es donde yo crecí). La escuela a la que yo fui es una escuela publica, pero aun así tuve que pedir un préstamo. Como estudiante internacional es un costo diferente pero también existen becas para estudiantes internacionales dependiendo de la escuela. Me da mucho gusto que decidas ir por tus sueños y espero que este mensaje no te haga dudar. Si es lo que te va a hacer sentir plena, siempre debes de buscar la manera de lograrlo
Hey! Great video! Go bears!
Thanks, Go bears!!!
I'm a transfer student, and I just found out that I got accepted at Berkeley. I'm an English major, I want to know if it's worth it going? I'm in between UCI & UCB
omg, I’m deciding the same thing 😭 I’m between UCI and Cal
@@kianaleong9977 I got waitlisted for UCLA 🥲 I was so sad. I ended up choosing Berkeley! It was a tough decision but if you chosen already, wither choice is great 😊
I think it really is about personal preference and what type of English lit you are interested in, but Berkeley has the best English department and scores, so the classes won't disappoint.
@@isabelsdigest I chose Berkeley, I'm in the process of planning my first semester schedule, it's a lot to go over
How long it took you to finish the English literature?
Hi, my bachelors degree took me 4 years and my masters is going to be 2 years
Do you offer college essay editing services? :)
I mean I am no expert, but if you want you can share it with me and I can give you some feedback! My email is there in the description!
Hey there!! Great job on the channel. Have you thought about using smzeus . c o m to get your video higher in the search!?
No, i never heard of it!