As you enter a university, it is imperative that you’re prepared to access the language, references, allusions, and ideas of academia. Simply, the more you read, the more you will understand the complex network of thought that will appear in every university classroom experience.
The following list presents several opportunities for you to establish a sound foundation for entering into classroom discussion, analysis, and debate in any discipline. Obviously, this list is not intended to be comprehensive. Often times, students don’t realize the importance of continuous reading until it is too late. Reading forms the foundation of all disciplines, and you can’t enter into meaningful discourse without the requisite reading.
For reference:
Hamlet Shakespeare
The Divine Comedy Dante
The Decameron Boccaccio
The Canterbury Tales Chaucer
The Odyssey Homer
Get grounded. Theses are the authors that scholars refer to simply by one name. References from their works will appear in countless novels, journals, films, short stories, essays, poems, and more. The importance of these authors and their works is incalculable. Their works will cross several different disciplines. Read Hamlet as tale of political turmoil or one man’s psychological struggle with identity. Analyze the Wife of Bath as one of the earliest feminists, or look at the Reve as Chaucer’s subtle critique of the church hierarchy. Examine Dante’s worship for Beatrice in the courtly love tradition. Connect the mythological references of Homer, Ovid, and Virgil to contemporary tales of heroes.
For philosophy:
The Allegory of the Cave Plato
The Brothers Karamazov Fyodor Dostoyevsky
No Exit and Three Other Plays Jean-Paul Sartre
Get enlightened. The study of philosophy, for some students, will present the largest leap in understanding, comprehension, and discussion. Abstract thought and the ability to do so undoubtedly challenges high school students, which is why instructors reserve it for advanced schooling. Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle represent the early roots of philosophy, and the likes of Dostoyevsky, Sartre, Mill, and Locke bring their concepts full circle.
For political science:
1984 George Orwell
Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury
The Crucible Arthur Miller
The Republic Plato
The Prince Machiavelli
Get active. Universities are notorious hotbeds for political discussion and debate. Begin with a solid base of idealism in The Republic, move on to political power gone awry in Orwell’s 1984 and Bradbury’s Fahrenheit, and form your views from opposite ends of the spectrum.
For history:
The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck
Invisible Man Ralph Ellison
Native Son Richard Wright
The Things They Carried Tim O’Brien
Get informed. High school history classes rarely have the time to cover contemporary trends or occurrences. The historical events motivating Steinbeck, Ellison, and O’Brien range from the Great Depression to the conflict in Vietnam. Learn about contemporary America’s political, historical, and social movements that form the diverse perspectives of today’s climate.
For fun:
On the Road Jack Kerouac
Catcher in the Rye J. D. Salinger
The Sun Also Rises Ernest Hemingway
The River Why David James Duncan
Seize the Day Saul Bellow
Get inspired. Let Kerouac and Hemingway stir your sense of adventure. With less time spent in classes and better things to do than watch daytime TV, pick up material solely for the purpose of enjoyment. The exploits of Holden Caulfield and the beatniks are more than enough motivation for all of your road trips and random adventures.
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