I have recently taken admission in college for the course BA Hons. in English. As a first year what things that I can do that will be beneficial for me. Any suggestions would mean a lot.
Usually, First Year is devoted to 1) an overview of the history of English literature 2) teaching you the basics that you will use throughout your academic career- like writing term papers, citations, identifying rhetorical devices, scansion of verses etcetera. At least, this is what ought to be taught, and this is what our college taught us. However, if your college plunges right into a specialised course (as I know some colleges in Kolkata do) I advise you to do the following:
Get a good book that provides an introduction to the history of English literature. It is of IMMENSE importance to know your historical periods by heart. I recommend Bibhash Choudhury's English Social and Cultural History.
Find out what citation standard your dept follows and practise citing sources accordingly. Citation is VERY important for an English student, be careful!
Find out institutional IDs for sites like JSTOR etc. It's an invaluable source for academic reference papers, when writing your answers.
Ask questions all the time. Ask questions via mail to your professors if necessary. Do not be afraid of looking stupid. This is going to be your base learning for a lifetime.
Not to be pro academia, but for the first year, don't skip any classes unless absolutely necessary. It is essential to know what each professor wants from you in terms of answers, and for that, you need to know your professors. A lot of my classmates did poorly because they didn't know what each professor liked in their answers.
Attend seminars whenever possible, many seminars give participation certificates. You can also send abstracts to the conferences, although they will usually give priority to more senior students.
Get previous years question papers from seniors and keep close to some trusted seniors; they will guide you regarding which courses to pick and which professors mark in what manner.
Be careful about selecting your additional papers. Many people will tell you they are unimportant, but they are not. They impact the CGPA significantly. One smart thing to do is to always opt for the course which a majority of the class has signed up for. This way you ensure that there is a stable circulation of notes and information in case you need it.
Now you're in college, don't have to study everything in your syllabus. Try to cover a safe number of topics (suppose there are 8 texts, studying 5 is enough!), but study thoroughly and well. Don't try to cram in everything and confuse yourself.
Try to enjoy your classes, English can be a very fun subject! Look up the authors and their background beforehand, so you can be better prepared for the classes. Happy learning ❤
