Trinity English (TSM) reading list

cillian95

Hi all,

Have applied for English and Maths in Trinity as my first choice and am fairly confident that I will get it (hopefully I don't have to eat my words in the morning). However, I'm taking a year out (volunteering in South America) so would love to get a head start on the heavy reading load that goes along with the course - anyone have last year's list?

Also, just bought a kindle and would love to get the books onto that for free? Any and all advice welcome.

blubloblu

cillian95 wrote: »

Hi all,

Have applied for English and Maths in Trinity as my first choice and am fairly confident that I will get it (hopefully I don't have to eat my words in the morning). However, I'm taking a year out (volunteering in South America) so would love to get a head start on the heavy reading load that goes along with the course - anyone have last year's list?

Also, just bought a kindle and would love to get the books onto that for free? Any and all advice welcome.

Can't help you with the list, but I know Project Gutenberg does free kindle downloads for out-of-copyright books (anything published before 1923).

cillian95

blubloblu wrote: »

Can't help you with the list, but I know Project Gutenberg does free kindle downloads for out-of-copyright books (anything published before 1923).

Thanks, haven't actually received my Kindle yet - are you sure it supports files from Project Gutenberg?

Curlyhatescurls

I'm going into third year single honours english so the booklist would have changed I'd say, if you're interested I can send you my first year booklist (just the TSM half)

I have a kindle and it's a life-saver, it's unbelievable the amount of money I save. First thing you need to download is a program called 'calibre' http://calibre-ebook.com/ which is legal and free, it converts any ebook/opendocument file into the format your kindle uses (mobi) So then you can download anything for any ebook and it will convert it for you.

Project gutenberg is absolutely amazing, I would also recommend 'librevox.org' for free audiobooks (you can get sick of reading and just want to listen sometimes while someone does the reading for you...)

Curlyhatescurls

Oh dear, I'm sorry, I have searched through my emails and I cant find my first year reading list:( If no one else gets back to you I can try and remember some off the top of my head for you to read

cillian95

Curlyhatescurls wrote: »

I'm going into third year single honours english so the booklist would have changed I'd say, if you're interested I can send you my first year booklist (just the TSM half)

I have a kindle and it's a life-saver, it's unbelievable the amount of money I save. First thing you need to download is a program called 'calibre' http://calibre-ebook.com/ which is legal and free, it converts any ebook/opendocument file into the format your kindle uses (mobi) So then you can download anything for any ebook and it will convert it for you.

Project gutenberg is absolutely amazing, I would also recommend 'librevox.org' for free audiobooks (you can get sick of reading and just want to listen sometimes while someone does the reading for you...)

Would really appreciate your first year booklist if you had it handy - even if it has changed I wouldn't mind broadening my horizons as regards what I'm reading. Also, how do you find the course, workload, etc. Thought it was my dream course but have started doubting that since results..

Thanks for the advice

Curlyhatescurls

Well...seeing as you are doing tsm I don't think you will find the workload too bad, I have two friends who did/are doing tsm english and maths and they both loved it as it allowed them to use their mathsy side and then they found english a really enjoyable break/change from that.
I found first year difficult, but looking back I think it was more to do with being in a strange city, not knowing anyone and being homesick rather than the course. What I really hated was that they start wayyyy back and work their way forward throught the history of english. So first year can eba bit of a bore if you are like me and are dying to get into the modern stuff. By the end of second year you will be right up to the present:) I mean, they start with Old English (http://www.heorot.dk/bede-caedmon.html#bede-oe) which eventually I found pretty cool but spent the whole year hating. You won't be doing that though as you are TSM. Your modules (if I remember correctly!) will be American Genres (they start right back with Columbus' letters, that was a really good module) Medieval and Renaissance Romance, Enlightenment, Romanticism, Literary Theory and Irish Writing.

I love it now, if you don't like the first term, the first year even, hold tight, as you get more and more choice over what you are studying the further into the course you get.
The School of English is excellent, you get amazing support from your tutors, tutorials are small, around seven/eight people to a group and lectures are interesting and sometimes incredibly amusing and riveting.

Workload- you will be doing three english modules a term, for each module you get one lecture and one tutorial per week, so that is six hours of english a week. Which is a pittance, and that is why you get a big reading list. But it is manageable! You cover one book usually per lecture. Tutorials don't start till two weeks in, so you can be two weeks behind lectures (a lot of people do it like this, I didn't) and get on really great. And if you are a good student you will be reading a few articles etc. on the side. At first I found it very difficult to understand literary criticism, the vocabulary was over my head so I would say to start reading up on literary theory as that will be the hardest thing to get your head around. So if you were interested have a look into Feminist literary theory, Marxist literary theory and then if you really get into it have a look at Formalism and Structuralism (don't expect to understand anything and don;t get frightened off!)

You are assessed by essays and end of year exams. One essay or exam in each module, so by the end of the year you will have written three essays and have three exams. Essays are 1500-2000 words in first year (it's actually easier the bigger word count you have, the word count steadily increases to about 5-6000 words in your final year)

I'll think of the texts you are meant to read and post them here:)

Curlyhatescurls

Pm sent. Best of luck tomorrow morning and next year with your volunteering, that will be a life-changing experience:)

Ash_M

Another Maths and English! Welcome to our exclusive club if you're still looking, I have the reading lists from last year - although iirc at least two of our lecturers have retired so expect a bit of change in a couple modules (Enlightenment and Irish Writing anyway)

cillian95

Ash_M wrote: »

Another Maths and English! Welcome to our exclusive club if you're still looking, I have the reading lists from last year - although iirc at least two of our lecturers have retired so expect a bit of change in a couple modules (Enlightenment and Irish Writing anyway)

Exclusive? I'm just hoping that there's no crazy initiation test that I'll have to pass first - like walking across hot coals barefoot. Don't suppose you fancy giving me a quick rundown of the maths side of things? Or the course in general? Or is that breaking rule 1: "Do not talk about Math Club"?

Yeah, if you had the reading list there it would be really handy Curlyhatescurls already gave me a load of books in a pm though.

TemptationWaits

I'm also going to start English in Trinity this year and I'd love to get an idea of what books we'll be reading. If anyone has a list that would be great, or if ye could just post the books you remember reading!

Ash_M

cillian95 wrote: »

Exclusive? I'm just hoping that there's no crazy initiation test that I'll have to pass first - like walking across hot coals barefoot. Don't suppose you fancy giving me a quick rundown of the maths side of things? Or the course in general? Or is that breaking rule 1: "Do not talk about Math Club"?

Yeah, if you had the reading list there it would be really handy Curlyhatescurls already gave me a load of books in a pm though.

It's exclusive in that we're a rare breed :P I'm one of two going into second year, and that's pretty much the trend up through the years.
Quick rundown: The Maths side of things sort of dominates the split - English is much more self directed so you'll just have 3 lectures and 3 tutorials a week, but you'll have 9 maths hours. It's also a lot more constant in the workload - you'll have weekly homework in some modules, and the tutorials are kinda more like classes wherein you physically do some maths, as opposed to the more discussion-based English tutorials. I found that I was usually doing more work on my maths unless it was English essay season :P I would definitely advise keeping on top of maths, as the lectures move at a pretty fast pace and you get a lot more out of them if you've even just had a read over what you did beforehand. Some modules like Linear Algebra do build on stuff you've done in school, but Analysis (for example) is really quite far removed from the LC course in some ways. Luckily they don't assume any prior knowledge :P I'd love to give you some inside info on your lecturers, but of the four I had in JF, one has retired and two have gone to English universities.. But I can tell you that you will love Timoney (probably have him for Advanced Calc in the second semester) because he's just the best man ever. Not sure what else I could say, but PM if you want any specific info

I've PM'd you a link to the reading list Also because of the rare subject combo I'll quite possibly be your Peer Mentor, so might see you Fresher's Week!

felixfelicis

I too am going to be doing TSM English next year! I successfully deferred my offer today and I'd also love to get a little bit of an idea of what's on the reading list I'd really appreciate it if someone could also pm it to me/post it here! Thank you!

Ash_M

I'll PM it to you later, I need to rejig it a bit as it's only viewable on the college network, but I'll sort something out when I'm finished work. I would post it in the thread but just in case that's not allowed or something.. But I can PM it to anyone who wants it.

felixfelicis

Thank you!

CiFlood

any chance someone could pm me the reading list too? i'd be really grateful.

also, is anyone here doing English Lit and Music TSM? I'd love to know the basic timetable, workload etc. etc.

Thanks

Ash_M

I can email the reading list to anyone who wants it, it's a PITA to PM though!

laoiserick

Hi Ash M... could you email me the list please? Please and thank you!

Ash_M

Of course, just PM me your email address

ficra9661

Hey, I'm in 6th year now and seriously considering English/English literature in trinity. If someone has the reading list handy or even a few books of the top of their head it'd be helpful. Just interested to see the books and also if I've read any already. Thanks!