Reflections

            After the end of last semester, I was undecided in both my major and what I wanted to do for my career in the future. I have always had a love for reading, so I considered being an English major and ultimately going on to perhaps becoming a professor or maybe even an editor. I decided to email Dr. Williams, who I had class with both last semester and this semester. I told him about what I was thinking about doing and wanted his advice. In response, I received an email that was as encouraging as it was helpful. I decided to give being an English major a try and set my sites on a career that would use what I learned. A few weeks after this semester started, Dr. Williams emailed me again asking me to be his honors faculty assistant. Of course, I accepted. It gave me an opportunity to work with my favorite professor and catch a glimpse of what the industry I was interested would be like. Now that the semester is reaching its conclusion, I’ve decided to reflect on how this semester has impacted my decisions for the future.

             In Books and Print Culture, we learned about the business of print, a career field that I’ve thought about entering into. Unfortunately, the industry of print is one in turmoil. Sites like Amazon and others have taken the lion’s share of sales, putting brick and mortar stores like Barnes & Noble on alert. Newspapers, meanwhile, are watching their subscriptions plummet. In addition, physical books are on their way to becoming just another decoration within the home, as digital books as well as a decline in reading are making them a less viable option appealing only to bibliophiles. This course, in a way, serves as something of a warning to those interested in pursuing a career in a field on the decline.

            My job as an honors faculty assistant and at the press served as another eye opener into what I would be getting myself into should I continue on my present course. The experience was an amazing one that actually made going to work fun. I loved getting to do the different projects I was assigned to, which makes me hopeful that print will continue despite the challenges it currently faces. I learned a great deal about the publishing work that the press did and saw the intricacies behind the business. Unlike the course, it actually made the future of print seem much less worrisome. To say the least, it gave me hope.

            A lot has changed over the course of this semester. I have learned more than I can say, especially about the future and myself. Despite the dreary tone of the class, working at the press gave me such an eagerness to work in the industry of print. Something I love about being an English major is that cultivates both important skills like writing and my ability to imagine and create. That’s why I so look forward to continuing my journey in this field. I also look forward to taking more courses with a professor who has taught me so much, not only about academics but also about life.