Many people like to fit English majors into a box; however, there is much more to us than the stereotype! English is not one of the easiest majors. While not as difficult as nursing or law, it still has its challenges just like every major. Yet people don't typically realize that there is more to the English major than meets the eye. So, unfortunately, there are a slew of questions that we often repeatedly hear.
1. "So you want to be a teacher?"
If I've heard this once, I've heard it a thousand times. English majors have countless career options - don't just assume we want to be a teacher! Other careers include publishing, editing, marketing, or journalism, for example.
2. "Your finals must be easy because they're just writing papers, huh?"
Oh, yeah. Writing (and researching and citing) 10-page papers is a breeze. In all seriousness, however, many English classes have actual finals that don't consist of papers.
3. "I guess if you're an English major you must hate math."
Not necessarily. Personally I am not and have never been a fan of math, but it's different for everyone. One of my English friends is amazing at math and really enjoys it. You CAN be good at both English and math.
4. "Your homework must be fun because you love reading!"
That'd be nice, but sadly, often the required reading in English classes is not what we'd prefer to read. And just because we love reading, that doesn't mean it's easy. Often our textbooks are full of old stories that require a couple rereads to comprehend.
5. "Oh, English? That's cool, I like Old English like Shakespeare!"
Shakespeare is NOT Old English, and I can guarantee it will hurt the ears of any English major to hear someone say that. 'Nough said.
6. "What are you going to do with a degree in English?"
A degree in English is not useless. It means we are proficient in the valuable skills of writing and reading, enabling us to find a job in many different fields.
7. "If you're an English major, you must like (insert any title) book."
Heavens no. In fact, our major probably makes us even more critical of books. Even classics are not exempt; I suffered through Paradise Lost for a class and hated every page.
8. "Will you edit my paper?"
Some English majors love the thrill of unleashing their inner Grammar Nazi and editing papers, others don't find it so stimulating. Either way, it is astonishing how frequently we hear this from our peers when they discover our major.
9. "You actually cry over books?"
Yup, crying over books is a thing. We tend to get very emotionally invested in the lives of fictional characters...and sometimes this involves crying (or screaming and throwing a book at the wall). #noshame
Sure, any English major is likely to be on the nerdy and quirky side, but that doesn't mean that we're bad at other subjects or always love reading and writing. To put it in words quite fitting for an English major: don't judge a book by its cover!
