Hi,
I'm going to be starting an English Literature degree at Warwick in October. I was really excited when I made the offer but now I'm just really worried about it all. I finished my A-levels in June and spent every day of July writing but not reading. I've been reading in the leadup to results day but I've just seen the reading list for my course and it's quite big. I love reading and I'm excited about reading so many books but I don't know where to start. I've got a list of the 'essential' books so I'm going to read them - there are 6 of them and I just spent close to £60 on them. That worries me too. I looked in my library, charity shops and for used copies but that still seems like a lot of money and it just makes me more worried.
I also didn't do History at A-level so I'm worried that I won't have a good enough knowledge of the subject for English. I'm definitely planning on doing a lot of research but there's so much to learn just in term 1. I know I can't learn everything before I even get to university but I want to get off to a good start. I suppose I'm just scared of the settling in process, and how much Warwick will do to ease me into the course.
And then there's accomodation and getting to know people and financial worries and leaving home. And I'm scared of the job prospects everyone keeps talking about. I know English gives you transferable skills but I've been told so many times that it'll only lead to a low paid job or something that won't mean I'll be reading books and analysing them. I don't know where to go in terms of jobs and it scares me that I'm going to complete this degree (hopefully) and not get anywhere at the end of it all because I fell in love with a subject and decided to study it for another three years.
I just really don't know where to start.