Hasty climbers often fall before they reach the top.
William Shakespeare
Although the world has changed a lot, the enduring principle of deep learning remains the same.
You might have read or heard the phrase, “Slow and Steady Wins The Race”. The famous saying is a part of the collection of Aesop’s Fable – yes, the same story of Tortoise and the Hare.
It is funny to realize how often we forget the timeless lessons by the time we become adults. Ditch the not-so-practical motivation of teachers and look at what we can learn from the fable as a literature student.
Hare: 80% of the English Literature Competitive exam aspirants can be compared to the hare, who start the preparation with a lot of motivation, energy, and excitement. However, quickly burn out and give up so soon.
Tortoise: Here, we have the diligent and consistent 20% of literature students.
From Sprints to Marathon: Once you realize that cracking competitive exams in English Literature is about consistency and it’s a marathon rather than a sprint, you will get into 20% of literature students.
Becoming Boss of Your Career
To be in the top 10% or 20% of English Literature students, you have to create a new routine around your career goals.
I cannot recall a day in the last seven years where my daily routine has not alignned with my personal and professional goals.
It is more important to me to read a book, make notes on the History of English Literature for students, write a blog or shoot a video than binge-watch Squid Game or Game of Thrones.
No, no… do not take me wrong. I watch movies, hang out with friends, attend parties, and make trips, but these are rewards I plan after fulfilling my short-term and long-term goals.
If any activity in your daily routine do not align with your career goals, then they are time wasters, even if you are reading articles and books unrelated to the project at hand.
If you are looking for more career tips, read Minimising Career Risk As A UGC-NET English Literature Aspirant
Avoid Completing The Topics Perfectly
According to my coaching experience, 30% of students give up just after finding out the long syllabus of English Literature — that sense of overwhelmingness of having too much to do restrain the students from progressing any further.
These 30% of students get trapped in scams and fake promises from online educators.
Such commentary on YouTube are lucrative enough for desperate students to shell out money for crash courses.
On the other hand, as English Literature has an extensive syllabus to cover, and competitive exams expect a candidate to have a thorough knowledge of the subject, some students put an excessive amount of time into one topic.
Strike Balance
It is essential to strike a balance between the depth and breadth of the subject.
In addition, you have to spare time for revision. If you are not revising, there is no point in putting effort into making notes.
If I had to study playwriter from a competitive examination point of view, here is what I would do:
Let’s take the example of Christopher Marlow.
| Christopher Marlow | Biography (1 Page) |
| University Wits | Thorough Study |
| 1. Dido, Queen of Carthage | Only title |
| 2. Tamburlaine the Great | Title, Summary |
| 3. The Jew of Malta | Title, Summary |
| 4. Edward II | Only Title |
| 5. Doctor Faustus | Title, Chapter-Wise Summary / Movie based on it. |
If anything comes out of Christopher Marlow’s work in the question paper, I would not regret it. I did everything I could do. There is a lot of syllabus to cover. After completing my revision, I would consider extending my notes on Christopher Marlow.
Avoiding Study Slumps
As Limitless Literature helps hundreds of students qualify for the different competitive exams in literature every year, a common habit among achievers is their ability to study consistently and make sure to update their progress on an everyday basis.
Most students are not consistent in their studies; there can be a lot of reasons. It is justified when a student is facing health issues.
However, oversleeping, giving significant gaps in your study routine, waiting for motivation, finding shortcuts, and starting studies a month before the exam can delay your career success.
Deliberate Breaks Are Good
Generally, planning a video, shooting, editing, and creating a thumbnail consumes five to six hours.
It goes the same with writing a blog. In fact, completing this blog and designing it before hitting publish will consume five hours.
1. I generally take 20 minutes break after 50 minutes of work. These deliberate breaks are good.
2. I give one big break on Sunday to prepare myself for the next week.
You might be saying, “Nakul, tell me something new. I already know it!”
Knowing and applying are different. It takes less than 10 seconds to know something, but it may take months to apply it,
Can regular exercise for a couple of months shred 4-5 kg of your weight? Yes, everyone knows it, but how many of us apply to see the change?
It’s always about the top 20% competition in any field. 80% of students have dreams but there is lack of courage to give what it takes to crack the exams.
Gone are the days when we rely on spoonfeeding.
Enough of 4-5 years of long vacation in the form of so-called Graduation and Post-Graduation degrees. This is the test of your personality. Time to make your career big is NOW!
