English Cougar Map

The Cougar Map is intended to guide you with suggestions for potential activities and career paths that can help you along your educational journey. Although everyone has different abilities, experiences and challenges, this Cougar Map can be used with the help of your advisors to prepare for the future you want with a clear vision of your college-to-career pathway. Please refer to the SXU Academic Catalog and academic planning resources for detailed degree requirements.

If you would like to print out the Cougar Map, please view the English Cougar Map (PDF).

Competence (Major/minor, summer suggestions, academic research)	First Year	Second Year	Third Year	Fourth Year
	Explore scholarship opportunities. Bring writing assignments to the Learning Center/Writing Studio for help in fine-tuning papers. Compose your bucket list of must-read titles in canonical and popular literature.	Create an informal writing, reading or teaching group with English majors. Consider pursuing a minor to become a well-rounded writer. Consider summer courses to catch up or get ahead with your studies.	Develop your topic for your senior seminar research project. Be mindful of important dates, i.e. semester ends and begins, deadline to withdraw from a course, petition for graduation.	Meet with the Language and Literature Department to ensure you're on track to graduate. Look to submit work for undergraduate academic publications.
Character (Service, global perspective, study abroad, clubs/RSOs, volunteering))	Consider joining a student club or intramural sports team. Enroll in Cougars LEAD that supports leadership development and begin working on your leadership certificate.	Explore opportunities to work on campus or get involved with service opportunities through Campus Ministry. Write for creative/personal purposes. Consider the broader impact your words have in society.	Take on a leadership role within a student club or organization. Consider participating in a spring break service trip or study abroad. Check eligibility to join the international honor society, Sigma Tau Delta.	Volunteer to do writing-related work for organizations. Join professional organizations such as the National Council of Teachers of English, Illinois Association of Teachers of English, Society for Technical Communication, International Association of Business Communicators or the National Communication Association.
Career Success (Career or grad school prep, internships, jobs)	Complete your SXU Handshake profile for student employment with the help of the Center for SUCCESS. Meet with Center for SUCCESS to research occupations of interest related to English. Attend SXU's career-related events throughout your time at SXU and network with professionals.	Create a LinkedIn profile and make connections within your academic and personal circles. Become a University Relations content editor or PR or social media assistant. Write for the student newspaper, The Xavierite. Write for Opus, SXU's literary publication.	Begin collecting writing samples for your professional portfolio. Explore a summer internship working in a field of interest, in organizations such as Chicago Fire, Tribune Media, American Library Association and WTTW Chicago	Ensure that your LinkedIn or other professional social media accounts reflect all your recent experiences. Become a writing tutor for the Learning Center. Continue developing your professional digital portfolio.