English majors are a breed of their own. I can only say this because I am one. And as an English major, I fully admit to being a nerd. You can even call me a nerd to my face and I will not be offended because I am so at peace with the term.
So as an English major, I thought I would just put my nerdy self out there and confess to the world what actually excites me and gets me through the monotonous days. I realize I am in the minority, but I know there are people, even non-English majors, who can relate.
1. I love to read
Hopefully, you saw this one coming. Loving to read is really a no brainer characteristic of an English major. I’m partial to historical nonfiction, romance, and sci-fi novels but speaking in general terms, I simply love to read.
2. I love to write.
This is another no brainer. English majors are generally more apt to express themselves through pen. I firmly believe “our writings are windows to our souls” and that words possess incredible power.
3. I love editing.
Need someone to peer edit your paper? HMU because I love editing. Looking at other people’s work, seeing their thought process, and watching how they construct their words into the picture of a beautiful argument is amazing.
4. I love learning about authors.
Researching the lives of brilliant authors and what inspires their writing is fascinating. They put their heart and soul, pain and suffering, as well as joyful experiences all into their stories. More often than not, their plot, setting, and character development will reflect some aspect of their personal lives.
5. I love how vast our vocabulary has the potential to be.
As of January 2014, there are 1,025,109.8 words in the English language and on average 1,000 new words are added to the oxford dictionary every year. Our word choice is unlimited! Think about that the next time you describe something simply as “good” or “nice”.
6. I love diagramming sentences.
Ok, love might be a strong word to use, but diagramming sentences is fun. It’s like a form of art or a special skill in a way.
7. I love the creativity behind fictional pieces.
The shire. Hogwarts. Narnia. West Egg. The capital. How were these authors so creative to think of these places and describe them in such detail as if they really exist?
8. I love critiquing movies that are based off books.
For an English major, nothing quite compares to the critiquing of a movie if it’s based off of a book you love. If I know a movie is coming out that is based off a favorite book of mine, I have its opening night marked months in advance on my calendar.
9. I love fictional characters.
Call me a weirdo, but I relate to them. Their flaws, their concerns, thoughts, actions, everything. They become friends of mine.
10. I love book series.
Book series draw you into a whole new world, a whole life. You become emotionally invested that when you finish the last book, you look at your current life and think “what on earth do I do now?”
11. I love literary devices.
Alliterations, allusions, characterization, foreshadowing, imagery, hyperboles, metaphors, similes, irony, motifs, paradox. I love it all.
I’m sure after reading these confessions you are either relieved there is someone else out there like you or you think I’m an even bigger nerd. But know that English majors like myself do have normal lives outside of their notebooks.
