Links

Resources for English Students

In addition to these online resources, you can also find a Resource Library in the main office for the English Department in Dunleavy 315. There are books for writing, research and literary analysis as well as career guides.

Literature

General Literature Resources

• English Literature Glossary for Students
• Internet Resources on Literature
• Literary Resources on the Net
• Voice of the Shuttle English Literature Resources
• Finding Sources: Literature
• American and English Literature Internet Resources

Literary Theory Resources

• Guide to Literary and Critical Theory
• Online Literary Criticism Guide
• The Problem of Meaning in Literature
• Internet Public Library Online Literary Criticism Collection

Reading Literature Critically

• Glossary of Literary Terms
• Literary Terms and Definitions
• All American: Glossary of Literary Terms
• Critical Reading: A Guide
• Reading Poetry
• Image in Poetry
• Pattern and Variation in Poetry
• Sound and Meter in Poetry

Writing Papers About Literature

• MLA Style Update for 2009
• Writing in College -- A Short Guide to College Writing
• Writing the English Paper
• Writing the Academic Paper
• Writing Literary Analysis
• Writing About Fiction
• Writing About Literature

Research Resources

Conducting Research

• NU Library Guide to Literary Criticism Research
• Sources of Literary Criticism and Evaluating Sources
• Finding Sources: Literature
• Evaluating Sources
• NU Library Research Help
• Research Competency Guidelines for Literatures in English

Using Information

• Using Literary Quotations
• Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing
• Avoiding Plagiarism
• Making Reference to the Works of Others In Your Text in MLA Format

Citing Sources Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Format

• MLA Style Update for 2009
• Humanities: Documenting Sources in MLA Style
• Using Modern Language (MLA) Format for Your Works Cited Page
• How to Format a Paper in MLA Style Using MS Word 

Writing Resources

Common Writing Assignments

• Writing in College -- A Short Guide to College Writing
• Writing the English Paper
• Writing the Academic Paper
• Annotated Bibliography
• Argumentative Essay
• Essay Exam
• Writing Literary Analysis
• Writing About Fiction
• Writing About Literature

Writing as a Process

• Writing in College -- A Short Guide to College Writing
• Writing the Academic Paper
• The Writing Process
• Invention Strategies
• Planning and Drafting Strategies
• Writing a Thesis Statement
• Battling Writer's Block
• Creating an Outline
• Paragraphing
• Revision
• Editing and Proofreading

Grammar and Mechanics

General Guides

• Capital Community College Guide to Grammar and Writing
• English Grammar Reference and Exercises

Specific Issues

• Commonly Confused Words
• Tense Consistency in Verbs
• Using Commas
• Sentence Punctuation Patterns

Writing With Style

• Sentence Variety
• Transitional Devices
• Revising Prose
• Writing Good Opening Paragraphs

Dictionaries and Style Guides

• Merriam Webster Dictionary and Thesaurus
• The Elements of Style
• Style Guide and Reference Collection

Graduate School/Career Planning

Check out our NU English Major Job Help site, written by English major Deandra Modica (Class of 2010) for lots of advice about what you can do as an NU English major after graduation! Also, Dr. Laurel has a great blog with tips and information for English majors about career planning and life in general.

Advice About Applying to Graduate School

• Advice on Applying to Graduate School (University of Iowa)
  Advice from professors about applying to graduate school.
• 10 Tips on Successfully Applying to a Ph.D. Program, and 10 Definite Don'ts (University of California at Davis)
  Useful tips about what to do and what not to do!
• Survey of Doctoral Education: English
  Information about graduate study in English from PhD candidates and recent Ph.D.s in English.
• Graduate School: English (Washington and Jefferson University)
  A good guide to what programs are available and how to improve your chances of getting in.

Finding Graduate Programs

• MLA Guide to Graduate Programs
  The Modern Language Association offers a searchable listing of programs in English, modern languages, and comparative literature.
• U.S. News and World Report Graduate Program Rankings (for English)
  U.S. News and World Report ranks graduate programs in all fields every year; their website allows you to search graduate programs and find the top ones in your field of interest.

Careers in English

• Career Ideas: English, Rhetoric, and Writing (University of Texas at Austin): Pages 5-17 are loaded with descriptions of the kinds of jobs English majors can get and have gotten.
• Career Services: English Majors (University of Washington)
  This page lists job titles for English majors, skills drawn from the major, and has lots of links to job listings, career planning sites, and other resources.
• Career Opportunities in English (University of Minnesota at Duluth)
• This page offers lots of links to job resources for English majors.
• NU's Career Opportunities Page
  NU's page offers lots of links to job sites and resources.
• What Can I Do With an Undergraduate Degree in English? (University of Manitoba)
  This page talks about the many opportunities and skills that an English major possesses and offers links to resources.
• Strategies for Success (Winthrop University)
  This page offers tips and strategies for succeeding in college.
• English Major Job Help