What's the best course of action if you think you've

Just finished my BA English Language and Culture. Currently doing an MA in what basically amounts to editing. It's pretty great honestly. You basically correct people's texts. The texts can vary from academic essays to novels or schoolbooks. Might be interesting, especially since you have the background/BA for it.
If you're bi/multilingual, you can also try to go into translating or something.

My advice: power through it. In the end you will at least have a degree, and you can then do something else you want, but you will still have that base on which to fall back on. In the meantime, orientate yourself on what else is available. Go to guest lecture or sit in on another major or MA class. Try some Coursera stuff. See what you like and make a plan for after your MA.

Also, fuck literary theory. My disdain for literary theory was one of the reasons I chose to focus on Medieval literature in my BA. Fuck that stupid shit.

>>17731402
Also, I've been told by my professors that if you're good/experienced enough you can edit/proofread from home and get paid pretty well, so there's that to consider as well.

>>17731402
>>17731411
Thanks, friendo. This gives me a lot to think about. Never heard of this coursera stuff.

Ironically, medieval literature and its ilk were what I most loved about my undergrad. I miss it so. I loved my academic work so much back then.

Editing sounds interesting, and fairly solitary. I think I'll ask around about that.

>>17731429
I'm an EUfag, so I'm not sure my personal Uni and such will really help you. If you're an American, I just found this, which might be useful: http://study.com/articles/Masters_in_Publishing_and_Editing_Degree_Program_Overview.html

All the editing work I have experienced so far is quite solitary. You might have to discuss some things with your author, supervisors, and coworkers, but it should not be that bad, I believe.

Coursera is fucking great. It's basically online classes from pretty good universities. For €43 you can get a certification upon completing the class. Might make it more worthwhile with regards to your resume and such.

Keep your head up man. You just have to get through this bullshit and then you can do what you really like.

>medieval literature and its ilk were what I most loved about my undergrad
Out of professional curiosity, what subjects did you do mostly? Personally, I was pretty fascinated with Medieval English saints and King Arthur stuff.

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>>17731443
>>17731443
I am, indeed, from Burgerstania. Well, one of its outlying principalities, more like.

I did a lot of stuff on epics; stuff like Orlando Furioso, Spenser, or the Lusiads. A bit of Virgil, if I recall. I always kinda wanted to go off the rails and investigate stuff like the Kalevala, but I never had the time. I know that's a bit off of "medieval," sorta, but a lot of later epic-writers seemed to fixate on that period. Much less related, I did a few semesters on Milton, which was fun. His work was fascinating, but learning the historical context behind it, like his life and the civil war, was especially engaging.

I think, mainly, I just enjoyed the treatment of English as a historical subject of sorts, with a sprinkling of theory. I naively expected MA work to be more of the same. Boy was I wrong. It seems like everything is theory. Even creative writing is packed with it at my uni. I can't seem to get away.

I'll try my damndest to hold on 'till graduation.

>>17731474
Milton and his historical circumstances are pretty cool as well. Historical literature is just much more fascinating to me than theory, which can sometimes boil down to people making theories to explain every single little fucking detail in a narrative in order to suit their own needs and wishes. In my opinion, it can be pretty pathetic and stupid at times to be perfectly honest.

Anyway, good luck m8. Just gotta push through it for now. If you have enough funds/interest to study in Europe, my MA is at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (RUG) and it's called Writing, Editing, and Mediating (WEM).
Hope you make it through all the bullshit and find your way.

>What's the best course of action if you think you've gone down the wrong career route?

go down a different one

:^)

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>>17731523