Every major has its stereotypes. Science majors are nerds, theater kids are weird, I’m sure you’ve heard them all. Like everyone else, English majors too have their own set of assumptions that people like to make. Hopefully this will clear the air.
1. You're constantly asked the same questions about your future, mainly "Are you going to be a teacher?"
Luckily for me, my family has been incredibly supportive of my major, but there are others who aren’t so lucky. For some reason, no one understands how useful being an English major is. Just because my career isn’t in the title doesn’t mean I don’t have any career options. Publisher, lawyer, doctor, and yes, even teacher—if I had a dollar every time someone’s asked me if I wanted to be a teacher—those options and more are available to English majors. As much as I respect teachers and doctors, those just aren't me. There are actually a shocking amount of English majors that go into publishing, but they have been known to do other things too. I actually know an English major that recruits brain surgeons, so the sky is basically the limit for us. Personally, I feel that being an English major offers the most diverse set of career options out there
2. You are never able to put anything into words.
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Despite our area of expertise being communication through writing and speaking, English majors are surprisingly inarticulate. I cannot even begin to fathom how many times my English major friends and I have struggled to explain something to each other or how long I’ve stared at a blank page trying to write something. Shouldn’t I be good at this? I’m not.
3. You are never able to make a single spelling and grammatical mistake...ever.
The most cringeworthy thing an English major can experience is a typo, whether it's theirs or somebody else's. I almost always check my emails and texts before I send them, but the embarrassment I feel when I accidentally misspell something destroys my soul more than anything else ever could. I’m only human, okay?
4. You're always proofreading other people’s papers or answering other general writing-related questions.
This one may also be due to the fact that my on-campus job is at the Writing Center, but outside of work I get so many requests from people for help. “How do I cite this in APA?” “Can you read this for me?” I just wish people came to me with these questions while I still had the opportunity to be paid for my time.
5. Everyone thinks you’re pretentious because you enjoy really old literature. Like, really old.
Next time you meet somebody who tells you they’re an English major, try not to be so quick to judge. We’re actually a lot more fun than you’d think. We can recommend some awesome books, if you're interested.
