It is not every day that you hear about people studying something in college that they truly enjoy. My senior seminar class conducted a survey for our campus that asked students why they were studying what they were majoring in. Many people said for passion, but most people said it was because of money or for a job opportunity. What I do not understand about this is the fact that I could never see myself picking a major that I did not enjoy studying or even attending class every day. Why do other people feel so afraid of the future that they must choose to study something that they could care less about?

It is here that I must admit that I haven’t always studied only English. I, too, chose a major that allowed me to get a job right out of school when I first started college. This was because people scared me into believing that the thing I loved most -- English -- would never get me anywhere after I graduated. So, of course, I tacked on an education path that focused on English when I first started attending college. The funny thing was, I knew after one class in the education department that this was not the field for me. So I switched and, no, I didn’t ask for advice from my parents, peers, or teachers. I decided on my own that if I were to study English it would be because I loved the subject and not because I was afraid of the future. Because, let’s be honest, we as college students are all afraid of the future.

This is where my advocacy comes in, though. Did you know that most college students and people, in general, believe that the humanities do not deserve to be taught to students? At my university, they just merged Speech and Theater into one major. What do those majors even have in common? Yes, they both have to do with speaking on a stage but those subjects are two completely different things. It is things like this that make me explain to anyone who asks me why I chose English as my major that it is important for people to study the Humanities because if lesser people study them, then the more they will merge and disappear completely. And if you have a passion for the humanities, there is no shame in basing your life study around it.

That’s not my only fight, though. I get asked almost every single time I tell someone that I am an English major if I will be a teacher. The answer is no. And please if you are one of those people that ask that question, make a point to stop asking because it is not the point of studying the English language to teach high school students. I will be working in editing. And, yes, I do have experience on my resume for this. My English major has also taught me communication, empathetic qualities, and the ability to work well by myself and as a team. It is so much more than “the MRS degree” or “the easy way out.” And, no, I do not only sit around, read books, and discuss them in class.

So this is my fight, this is how I want to raise awareness. Stop asking the humanities majors what they are going to do with their major because, guess what, they most likely know what they are going to study because we chose to study what we are passionate about. So yeah I’m going to get a little less money when I have a big girl job, but, at least, I won’t be stuck behind a desk my entire life as I waste hours of my day filing things I do not care about. And just a reminder, support the humanities majors because don’t you want someone to support you as you study the human body? Or as you put together a new invention? Or, even, when you make a lesson plan for your next class? Be supportive of everyone. You never know who needs that push to finish their degree.