I’m sure you’ve seen them around by now. They are the students walking around campus with anthologies against their chests and either herbal tea or caffeinated coffee in their hands. We also cannot forget about the constantly expanding to-read lists in their minds. However, even though these students might look and act the same, each one is a distinct individual with his or her own literary preferences and career plans. These life-learners just naturally come together and form an intellectual alliance because they share a few traits, which society then uses to define the stereotypical English major.
Of course, this stereotype had to originate in response to at least a few obvious connections. Some of the most common assumptions and resulting justifications appear in the list below.
1. English majors use perfect grammar.
Even though many of us proudly accept the title of “Grammar Nazi,” neither English majors nor professors use perfect grammar every day. Sometimes a quick text can excuse improper punctuation or abbreviations, even if our essays are immaculate. Also, one of the coolest parts about being an English major is knowing when irregular grammar functions better than the standard version. For example, there really is a time and place for the double negative.
2. English majors cannot do math.
Yes, there is a reason our weapons are words instead of numbers. However, some English majors are actually skilled in basic counting. We just did not find it scintillating enough to be math or business majors. After all, numbers can easily look like a bunch of chicken scratches in an equation, whereas elegantly scribbled letters make works of art in any notebook.
3. English majors can only become teachers.
This dated belief is absolutely wrong for modern English majors. Even though some of us do choose to follow this noble profession, many English majors value the broadness of our degrees. We can teach, publish, edit, and write almost any material imaginable. The world needs skilled writers and critical thinkers, and we are the perfect students for these jobs. Having open career paths is empowering, not limiting.
4. English majors always prefer the book version.
Of course, there are obvious exceptions to this assumption, usually because sometimes a movie or television show might (dare I say it?) improve a chapter or character. However, most English majors probably do prefer to read a story than watch it just because a 75-minute movie cannot do a 350-page book justice. A movie or show simply cannot include all the imagery, detail, or narrator’s inner thoughts the way a book is famous for.
5. English majors can always be found in a library or coffee shop.
As English majors, we fluctuate from the library to the coffeehouse almost daily, often bringing a book or drink from one to the other. Some of us could probably even identify a book aisle based on its catalog information alone. As for the coffee shops, English majors are actually very aware of this infamous stereotype, and we enjoy living it. There is usually not a more enjoyable place to read or type. In this instance, English majors can have their fun and drink it too.
6. English majors can find symbolism in anything and everything.
Just because we are adept at picking apart details does not mean everything has a deeper meaning. However, spending four years having to study literary criticisms and deciphering why a writer chose one color over another might make us a little too eager to analyze people’s actions and motivations. Living in the real world prevents us from so easily examining why the sky might be blue, but noticing hidden or unintentional symbolism makes life a little more colorful.
7. English majors care way more about the English language than is normal.
This is probably the truest assumption on this list. English majors obviously have an unhealthy but glorious obsession with words, including everything from origin to usage. It is this enjoyment of discovering and testing the English language that makes English majors so unique in other company. Need ten synonyms for a random word in five seconds? No problem. Struggling to write an essay over seven pages? Child’s play. We love alliteration and can debate grammatical rules for hours. What we cannot say, we write.
