Opportunities and Resources for English Students
English students have many choices for enhancing their studies through options such as on-campus writing opportunities, the national English honors society, and the Writing House.
To complement the varied courses, many students gain added experience by writing for The Gettysburgian, a student-run weekly newspaper; The Mercury, the student literary magazine; or the Spectrum, the annual yearbook.
On-campus internship options
In particular, Gettysburg College English majors come away with highly developed writing skills. Whether a student majors in English or English with a Concentration in Writing or minors in Writing, opportunities to hone one's writing style abound at Gettysburg College, both within the classroom and beyond. For example:
- The weekly student newspaper, an annual literary magazine, and a yearbook offer students the chance to gain writing, editing, and production experience.
- Students of English can also work as interns at The Gettysburg Review, the College's nationally distributed literary journal. Interns work closely with the editorial staff to gain hands-on publishing experience.
- The department's honors program gives seniors with strong academic records an opportunity to work closely with a faculty advisor to research and write an extended thesis on a topic of the student's choice.
On-campus employment options
In addition, the English Department oversees several employment options that serve as valuable training for students interested in either writing or teaching.
- Gettysburg's Writing Center offers peer tutoring opportunities for excellent writers. Tutoring is an especially exciting option for students who are interested in careers in teaching or who are planning on doing graduate work.
- A limited number of student teaching assistantships are available, in which students gain teaching experience by leading small-group discussions, working one-on-one with peers, and perhaps commenting on student papers and exams, and otherwise assisting faculty members. Students can also serve as research assistants, aiding faculty in areas such as preliminary online, library, and bibliographic research.