Welcome to my English major struggle. Where yes, I do edit people's papers and I laugh at my own grammatical jokes and of course I'm correcting your grammar while you talk to me. That's a real thing you know, I actually do that. And of course, it's always my favorite thing when I'm put in an English/Literature class full of non-English majors, so basically they're just there for the credit and they're there because they have to be. That's the worst.
1. “So are you gonna be like, a teacher or something?”
While that is something I can fall back on, I never know what to say to this. I want to be a writer. I want to write books, I want to have people feel the things I feel when I read books. I want to be that person. So yeah, maybe I will be a teacher because in this world, you know you have to have like 5 back up plans before you can consider yourself successful, so, sure.
2. “I want you to know that you won’t be able to do as well in college as you’ve done in high school. You’ve held yourself to a standard that is much too high.”
Well, the jokes on you. English is something I’ve cared so much about my whole life, mostly because it’s something I consider myself truly good at. I decided to take it as a challenge, I enrolled in a British Literature class my first semester in college hoping that it would give me a real run for my money. As a surprise to me, something I thought would be very challenging was something very easy to me. I’m proud to say that I’m doing just as well in college English and literature courses as I did in high school.
3. “Being an English major is stupid, you don’t actually learn anything. I can’t believe you can get a degree in something like that.”
It’s really hard actually. I know it’s not as hard as you engineering, biology, nursing or whatever, major or whatever but it’s hard. I’d like you to look at a poem and tell me the theme and speak o the voice of the writer. Or I’d like you to sit in front of a computer and write a four-page paper in a half an hour. I consider something like this a challenge especially for those who don’t particularly enjoy it. You might think it’s stupid but one day, it’s how I’ll make a living.
4. “Oh my god, since you’re English major can you write my papers for me?”
I mean… if the price is right. ;) Well okay, no. Just because I’m an English major doesn’t mean I’m free to be your little essay-monkey whenever you see fit. I’m a human who has other things to do than worry about how someone will pass their literature class. I will help when it comes to things like tutoring and I will help you write your papers, but I will not write them fully myself. Of course, I'll edit the paper before you turn it in and make sure that everything is grammatically in order. It's like having an English professor as one of your close friends so you don't have to worry about major criticisms.
5. “You actually ENJOY writing papers?!”
Yes, it’s true. I enjoy writing papers. Mostly because it’s one of the things that for the first time, I feel plays to my strengths academically. I love writing and it feels so good to be able to do that and get graded for it. Writing papers comes so easy to me, I can have a five-page paper done in an hour.
