"So where do you go to school?"
"Drexel."
"Wow. You must be really smart. Are you taking engineering?"
"No. I'm an English major."
"Oh."
Every. Single. Person.
Tell me: why are you so disappointed? What's wrong with my major? Did I somehow become less intelligent, less creative, less of a person because I choose do what I want with my life? Should I apologize for being me?
Well, I'm not going to.
When I first began college, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I chose math as my major just because I had always been good at it, but I soon realized that I didn't like it. It was so repetitive, and for someone like me who always needs to be doing something new, it got boring fast. I stopped going to class because I couldn't do it. My grades slipped dramatically. I slid into a depression and couldn't bear to think about the future.
How could I ever live the rest of my life like this?
I couldn't take it anymore. I decided to see the career counselor at my college. After some extensive testing, I discovered that I have a passion for creativity, literature, and writing.
However, like how I feel most people would have reacted, I began to panic. How will I ever have a career in such a risky business? What if I'm not good enough? How will other people view me?
A second meeting with the career counselor calmed most of my fears. He told me that in less than 10 years, most people will work as freelancers. That means, any career I picked wouldn't have job security anyway. While that may still seem scary, it made me feel less alone. If everyone is worrying about it, it makes a career in writing seem less like a risk.
So I took the jump. I couldn't switch my major just yet because my grades were too low, but it didn't stop me from only taking English classes the next term or only applying to writing related coops.
And guess what? Even though I had to write at least three five page or more essays a week, I made dean's list with a term GPA of 3.62. I was the first pick for four companies' coops and an alternate pick for two others. I wound up picking one at a local parenting magazine, MetroKids, where I have about fifteen published articles. I got a job at the writing center at my university, I became the Editor in Chief for Odyssey at Drexel, and my dad asked me to be the social media coordinator for his real estate company.
Next time you want to judge me for being an English major, think again. In eight months, I went from dreading the future to loving my life. I already have so much experience in my field in such a short time - not to mention I have two more mandatory six month coops before I graduate college - that I'm sure will help me secure a job in the future.
If you're reading this and you're scared to choose a career that you love because you won't make any money, do it. Your happiness will fuel your passion and you will be able to get by. Take as many internships as you can while you're still in school and work tirelessly to build your resume. Remember, no one became great by sitting at a desk doing a job they hate.
