# Is English Class the worst for SA people?



## nycdude (Mar 20, 2010)

Everytime i go into my English class i feel like I am the only one who does not belong in that class. I feel like my prof is thinking that I should have dropped out because i failed and got a U for a midterm grade, but i know i can pass, i have not failed in anything. When working in groups or pairs of 2 i always have nothing to say, maybe 1 idea and thats it. My brain cannot think correctly when working in groups. Also when working in groups i am usually at the end of the group and the leader of the group tells me if i have something to say and acts like they did not know i was even part of the group. And the professor come around checking and comes to me and says if i am working, you can obviously see me in the group listening so i am working, and i feel embarrassed and my group looks at me thinking why he has not said anything, I do not say anything because i cannot come up with ideas for my group.


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## i1suck2at3storytelling (May 7, 2011)

Dude, I know what you mean. Whenever there's a group project or you have to work in groups, I just freeze up and can't think of anything good to say.

And English in general sucks.

But in college, I think that the writing classes are aimed more for argumentation rather than creative writing skills. So a book on critical reasoning would be more helpful to read than a book on writing an essay.

Yeah but for talking in groups, I'm still working on that.

Asking questions for your partners to elaborate on what they say, and maybe expanding on it might help.
It also might help to constrain your search for what to say.
For example, you can narrow you search down by requiring what you say be related to water. Or by requiring yourself to make an analogy to water. That automatically focuses your mind on what to say, but at the same time, water can be used as an analogy in infinitely many ways, so it doesn't really narrow what you want to say at all. It just makes you think of something new to say that no one has yet said.


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## wmw87 (Apr 20, 2011)

Seems that foreign language classes require the most group work. I always do poorly in those, grade-wise.


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## Cutman (Jan 8, 2011)

Yes they, are. I took my English classes online.

Even when working in groups at my job, my thinking is thrown off.


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## bezoomny (Feb 10, 2007)

I love English class. English class and Latin class are the few where I actually feel comfortable speaking on the subject. TAs like me a lot.


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## sherbert (Jun 24, 2005)

The two english courses that I had to take required essays and a very formal question-answer format. I passed the first without too much struggle, but the second I retook (due to anxiety) a total of three times. There was something about the in-class writing and the incessant keyboard taps that made me incredibly anxious. It was like with each key-stroke, they were simply PROVING how competent and assured they were with their words. 


A few semesters ago I finally forced myself to finish the course-- and I got an A. For the record, I hate group work as well.  Actually, I don't really understand how or why group work is necessary for english. Most of the classes that I have taken were centered around generating persuasive arguments in writing, not in debate. It's usually a secondary thing to help create ideas, but not much more...


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## IfWinterEnds (Jun 4, 2010)

I majored in English, creative writing in college. Whoops. So unfair that there's pretty much no place for people with SA there. At least half of my classes involved class discussion circles (25+ people), small group work, presentations, and being called on randomly to give opinions on whatever assigned reading was.


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## IllusionOfHappiness (Sep 6, 2007)

I always enjoyed English class, however it was the only one I almost failed for skipping so many classes. Nay to the group work & nay to public speaking. I was far from ready to deal with any of that.


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## Winds (Apr 17, 2011)

I had the same thing happen to me my freshman year in English. I struggled in the early half of the semester to do the constant group work and having to talk and present aloud in english class. I skipped a lot during the first few weeks to avoid embarrassing myself and got a D for my midterm grade. After midterms were over my professor at the time announce that the bulk of our grade would be on a multimedia presentation that we had to present as our exams. Knowing that I started working hard on making sure I had a good product. I end up getting an A on the project and an A in the class based on that one presentation despite the fact that I had missed close to 15 days in her class due to SA.

From that class I learned 2 things. First I should never ever do that again  and the second being that no matter how bleak things seem there is always a way to turn things around for the better. You just have to roll up your sleeves and start grinding away at it.



wmw87 said:


> Seems that foreign language classes require the most group work. I always do poorly in those, grade-wise.


Foreign Language classes are rough it seems for people with SA as you have oral as well as written component to it. Luckily for me my Portuguese professor had a heart of gold. She did everything she could to help me understand the language and I still failed to get a proper grasp of it although I passed with a C. That class might indirectly be the cause of my SA becoming worse but that is a story for another day.


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## contranigma (Jun 24, 2009)

I would say public speaking is the worst for SA.


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## MelysCariad (Jan 26, 2011)

In my english class we are constantly adding a 'creative/dramatic' aspect to it. Therefore reading out-loud works from Shakespeare and other pieces of literature.

The other day I decided because I was feeling a bit less shy to do my turn of reading with emotion, and I got laughed at.

-_-"


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## Shooterrr (Jul 19, 2009)

I'm really dreading registering for English for the fall semester. I suck at writing and I feel like I have no ideas or thoughts of my own. Hopefully things aren't too bad.


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## arsenius (Feb 15, 2011)

contranigma said:


> I would say public speaking is the worst for SA.


I agree.

But now that I think of it, I took english online. My university offers a handful of general ed classes entirely online each semester, and I was just really careful to get into one for english. Don't all universities do that these days? Maybe I'm just luckier than I thought in that regard


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## IfWinterEnds (Jun 4, 2010)

Sometimes presentations aren't as bad as small groups and giving unexpected opinions. There's time to practice and plan what you're saying. You don't have to do as much thinking and talking at the same time. Not that presentations don't really, really suck.


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## Charizard (Feb 16, 2011)

English was always my favorite class in school. The class that was worst for me interaction-wise was always science. Lots of group science projects.


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## ForeverQuiet (Feb 27, 2011)

Yes, English has been the worst subject social wise this year. English is my favorite subject but it's starting to piss me off and I'm starting to hate it. There are too many oral presentations and participation in that class.


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## thewrestler92 (May 22, 2011)

It's the worst especially when all they do is have a class discussion and your grade is determined by how much you participate. My first two semesters of college English classes involved the teacher discussing something with the class. My first semester, it was a free-for-all. The professor would discuss how what we're learning relates to life and people would just yell out their opinions in front of 30 other people. I never said anything unless the professor asked me something. I didn't like this because here I was trying to start a new beginning with my social life and already first semester I was getting the same label in high school which was being the quiet kid who never talks. My psychology class first semester, people volunteered to sit in a group of 5 in front of the class and debate an issue. It was required to do it at least once. I only said one thing when I went so I was able to get credit for it and my heart was pounding and I was shaking.


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## Donnie in the Dark (Mar 15, 2011)

Thomas Hardy, at castle Boterel- You tell me thats not worth studying


As I drive to the junction of lane and highway, 
And the drizzle bedrenches the waggonette, 
I look behind at the fading byway, 
And see on its slope, now glistening wet, 
Distinctly yet

Myself and a girlish form benighted
In dry March weather. We climb the road
Beside a chaise. We had just alighted
To ease the sturdy pony's load
When he sighed and slowed.

What we did as we climbed, and what we talked of
Matters not much, nor to what it led, -
Something that life will not be balked of
Without rude reason till hope is dead, 
And feeling fled.

It filled but a minute. But was there ever
A time of such quality, since or before, 
In that hill's story? To one mind never, 
Though it has been climbed, foot-swift, foot-sore, 
By thousands more.

Primaeval rocks form the road's steep border, 
And much have they faced there, first and last, 
Of the transitory in Earth's long order; 
But what they record in colour and cast
Is - that we two passed.

And to me, though Time's unflinching rigour, 
In mindless rote, has ruled from sight
The substance now, one phantom figure
Remains on the slope, as when that night
Saw us alight.

I look and see it there, shrinking, shrinking, 
I look back at it amid the rain
For the very last time; for my sand is sinking, 
And I shall traverse old love's domain
Never again.


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## TheQueenOfNoise (May 28, 2011)

Omg. I LOVE English classes.  I'm even the best in my class in English. Though, I hate reading loudly in English. English is not my native language, but I can speak in British accent - when I'm alone. When I speak in front of everyone, I am lost.. I also like when the teacher talks to me in English, I know what to say. But when I do, I am lost!!! >.<

Still, everyone seeks for my help before a test, everyone wants me to translate something for them, everyone wants me to help them get a good mark.. They don't know English very well.. We never have a homework to do, but I'm afraid if we do have, the classmates would ask me to do it for them. >.< .. Or maybe they wouldn't, but they'd still ask me for help.


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## ForeverInBloom (Oct 4, 2010)

i1suck2at3storytelling said:


> Dude, I know what you mean. Whenever there's a group project or you have to work in groups, I just freeze up and can't think of anything good to say.
> 
> And English in general sucks.
> 
> ...


I agree, analogies help me too although I'm not in college yet.


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## ImTheCrew (May 28, 2011)

I HATE English, it me SIX tries to pass it in COLLEGE(5 Withdraws)! I <3 Math though.


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## Lolita92 (Jun 7, 2011)

I LOVED english. Oddly enough I never had a problem with speaking in front of my class because I was comfortable around them. However when I did English for A levels at a different school I was close to failing. Mainly because I kept to myself which didn't exactly work well in group situations. Also I would never ask for help because my teacher was scary.


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## dustbunnies (May 18, 2011)

Yes, 'coz it's not my first language. I have issues with my pronunciation and accent.


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## meringue (May 30, 2011)

I love the literature aspect of English class and writing essays, but I hate having to discuss my opinions in a classroom filled with 30-something people. In a group of maybe 3 people, I actually don't mind it so much. English is my favorite class.


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## Karuni (Jun 26, 2011)

I haven't started any college English classes yet, but my senior year of high school was the worst when it came to that subject. 

I had the same teacher from junior year (she taught both AP Language & Composition and AP Literature & Composition), but for AP Lit we had to do these "Socratic Circles" for almost every book we read. Everyone got put into a group to discuss a portion of the book/play we read and have at least 10 questions ready for discussion. I HATED these because I could never come up with good questions or answers (at least I thought I couldn't). The only thing that made them bearable was that we could pick our groups so I was in with my best friend every time. It was still horrible. My goal every time was to just ask at least one question and try to discuss a couple of times. That much usually got me a good grade, but one time I couldn't get a question in (it's so hard to judge when you can jump in), and I literally got a D as my grade for that particular discussion. It was like a shot to the heart. I felt like I was punished for my SA, and that it was very unfair. Fortunately, I didn't get bad grades on anything else so my overall grade was fine.

Class presentations and speeches aren't as bad because they're rehearsed, but I still hate them. It takes me a while to get used my class. My junior and senior year classes weren't too bad because I knew everybody in there. 

I don't look forward to any college English classes. Though, I'm not sure if I'll have to take any because of the college credit I got during high school...


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## AllToAll (Jul 6, 2011)

If you feel so anxious, you should speak to your professor about it. Most times they'll understand.
Offer to write more essays in order to make up for your lack of class participation.


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## Perkins (Dec 14, 2010)

Shooterrr said:


> I'm really dreading registering for English for the fall semester. I suck at writing and I feel like I have no ideas or thoughts of my own. Hopefully things aren't too bad.


Same boat.


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## Puppuccino (Jun 29, 2011)

I loved english class in high school. I had much more confidence and could express myself more articulately then. I took an english class in college last year and dreaded it. The class size was about the same. I think it was college atmosphere that eroded my confidence. The professor had a strong accent and was really intense. She wasn't really open to insight differed from or contradicted her opinions so I felt like there were "right" and "wrong" answers in literary analysis and didn't raise my hand much which resulted in her calling on me... a lot. I ended up talking to her privately about my anxiety and it definately helped me.


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## amm (Jun 28, 2011)

I graduated with a BA in English, but, I have to say, I felt like I learned a lot more in the classes where the professor would just lecture the entire time. Most of my professors were really captivating, intelligent people who could hold a room talking about virtually anything. But, presentations were a fact of life. I was always too nervous to ask for help or to run an idea across a professor, so my presentations often lacked a great deal of substance. As I progressed, though, I started getting significantly better to the point where I was actually getting A's on all my presentations. It just takes practice (or at least for me it did).

English professors can be extra-annoying in their insistence on participation, though. I legitimately had the flu one semester and, after a two-week hiatus, I had a professor call me out after class and reprimand me for being absent. It was around the time swine flu was a big deal, and I had e-mailed her when I first started getting the symptoms, but she didn't seem to care. After she reprimanded me, I really lacked the confidence to speak up at all in her class, and my participation grade suffered. It's really, really hard to get A's as an English major if you have SA.

But, whatever. I passed. I'm done.


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## pita (Jan 17, 2004)

I have a BA in English. The first time I enrolled in English at the university level, I was so intimidated that I ended up dropping the course and switching my major (and then switching schools twice). It wasn't until my third school (absurd, I know) that I got back into English and made a pretty good go of it. 

I had difficulties, but I think my courses were made easier by the fact that the English department at my school was enormous and it was easy to blend in. Other than the senior seminar courses I had to take in fourth year, only two classes had seminar components and only a handful had (very small) participation requirements. In my fourth year seminar classes, I actually contributed to discussions a fair bit (not that I ever stopped being nervous, mind you) and received an A+ on one of my presentations. But it all really depends on the kind of instructors you have, I think. Mine seemed accepting of shy and nervous students.

The worst class for me, SA-wise, was French.


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## Diacetylmorphine (Mar 9, 2011)

Gah, I have to do an "Academic English" subject next semester. :doh
Not looking forward to it.


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## Joe (May 18, 2010)

My worst lesson is anyones that i dont really know anyone in since i just sit alone and do nothing all the time. Lately ive been underpreforming massively aswell but strangely enough English is the only one ive not fell behind much on, it used to be my worst subject.


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## De Facto (Jul 9, 2011)

I can definitely relate to a lot of the experiences on this thread. Being called on to speak is the absolute worst--it's as though your brain is wiped completely clean of information, and it takes every ounce of effort just to piece a few coherent sentences together.

My worst English class to date would have to be the AP English Language and Composition course I took my junior year of high school. My teacher was one of those instructors who enjoys conducting class discussions in circle format. Supposedly, this created a more friendly and intimate setting, but "hostile" and "intimidating" would be much more appropriate adjectives. I found it impossible to speak confidently when there were thirty pairs of eyes staring at me. To make matters even worse, several of my classmates were Speech and Debate state champions, and they defended their points so passionately and eloquently that anything I said sounded downright idiotic in comparison. During these discussions, I mostly just sat unhappily in my seat and secretly counted down the minutes until the bell rang.

Ironically enough, because I worked so hard on all of the written work in that course, I ended up with the highest grade in the class. So when it came time to ask for letters of recommendation for college, I politely asked my AP English teacher if she would write me one. 

She refused because she said I didn't talk enough.


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## amm (Jun 28, 2011)

De Facto said:


> I can definitely relate to a lot of the experiences on this thread. Being called on to speak is the absolute worst--it's as though your brain is wiped completely clean of information, and it takes every ounce of effort just to piece a few coherent sentences together.
> 
> My worst English class to date would have to be the AP English Language and Composition course I took my junior year of high school. My teacher was one of those instructors who enjoys conducting class discussions in circle format. Supposedly, this created a more friendly and intimate setting, but "hostile" and "intimidating" would be much more appropriate adjectives. I found it impossible to speak confidently when there were thirty pairs of eyes staring at me. To make matters even worse, several of my classmates were Speech and Debate state champions, and they defended their points so passionately and eloquently that anything I said sounded downright idiotic in comparison. During these discussions, I mostly just sat unhappily in my seat and secretly counted down the minutes until the bell rang.
> 
> ...


I would say that's probably the worst thing ever. You can be an excellent writer and one of the most intelligent people in a class, but most professors/teachers and students will still think you're an idiot if you can't come up with something even remotely intelligible to say. Easily the most frustrating thing about school.


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