As a recently declared English major, I've noticed that I tend to get a lot of negative feedback when I tell people what I'm studying. Although no one will ever say it to my face, people like to assume that I am either 1. not smart enough to major in anything science related, 2. headed down a useless career path, or 3. too lazy to study anything else.
Newsflash everyone: none of these things are true. The English major is not only challenging, it's important. Here are just a few things us English majors are tired of hearing:
1. I bet that involves SO much writing! I could never deal with that.
You're right, being an English major involves an incredibly amount of writing. Here's what people don't understand: we love it. Why else would we choose to study it? Yes, just like every other major, sometimes we wish we could have a break. But at the end of the day, we're just preparing to do what we love in the future, and if that means writing a 15-page paper about the symbolism in a fiction novel, so be it.
2. You must have a ton of free time!
Are you serious? You can't be serious. No, I actually have no free time at all. It's very rare for someone to major only in English. More often than not, it's paired with another degree, like communication, journalism, education, business, or even a foreign language. And let's not forget a minor or two. Contrary to popular belief, English majors spend quite a lot of time studying. Some of us are even student athletes or involved in other organizations. Shocking, I know.
3. So you're going to teach, right?
Um, no, I'm not. Education is definitely an option for some English majors, but there are about a million and one things you can do with an English degree. Personally, I'd love to go into publishing. The possibilities are pretty much endless.
4. Is grammar really that important?
Of course it is! Being able to sound smart and professional is a skill that so many employers are looking for. Besides, I saw your last tweet, and you couldn't even use the correct form of "you're."
5. It must be scary to pursue a career in writing.
It's scary to pursue a career in any field! You see, the thing is, I'm not trying to become the next J.K. Rowling. While being a famous author would be fantastic, that's not the ultimate goal I have for my future. Like I said, there's a wide range of possibilities for what I can do with my writing skills. Who do you think writes press releases, breaking news articles, bios, movie scripts, or web content? Probably an English major.
6. Can you edit my [insert anything that involves words]?
OK, so I actually really enjoy editing people's work. But don't get mad when I'm brutally honest about how atrocious your sentence structure is.
7. Good for you, I've always hated English.
Why. Why would you say that me? It's one thing to tell me that you've never been good with grammar or you have a hard time interpreting literature, but to directly insult my field of study is more than a little offensive.
8. Why would you want to study that?
Well, first of all, because I sincerely enjoy it. But it's not just about that. English majors bring joy to people. Whether it be a simple BuzzFeed article that makes you cry tears of laughter or a novel that completely draws you in because it's just that incredible, I want to be able to instill that sense of joy in someone. If you've never experienced that kind of feeling, I truly feel sorry for you.
