In the two years and four semesters I have been a university student, I have never come under more opposition for any decision more than my choice to major in English Language and Literature. This, of course, is not without support from amazing family and friends amidst the criticism, but nonetheless the opposition, the confusion, and the judgement from others is still there. In fact, in the last semester it has only intensified.
Going to an institution rooted in research where business and engineering are at the forefront, it's only understandable that a major in the College of Arts and Humanities would not receive a whole lot of enthusiasm from every direction. You're either taken too lightly or people brush you off to the side. Whether it's the discrepancies on how many hours I work in comparison to them or the difficulty of being an English major put to constant questioning, it never seems like I can cut a break.
Being an English major, people assume all you do is read and write. ALL. DAY. LONG. Now, granted I do spend a lot of my time reading and writing, but that in itself should not be scoffed at. We spend hours reading, diving into literature trying to wring out all the significance and meaning a writer can give us in words on a page. We're not just reading, we're comprehending. We're absorbing. All of that takes time. Most people would assume that speed reading should be nothing for us and shorten our work time. However, if anything my reading has only slowed in pace over the years because in order to take in all that information, to dissect it, you need to take even more time. It's a gradual process, you're not just reading anymore, you're processing. Just like all you STEM majors out there who slave over your formulas and problem sets (shoutout to my bomb roommates who suffer through this), we slave over these books and readings because a part of the meaning behind being an English major (at least for myself) is finding meaning through the literature, in the work that an author has created.
Meeting new people, criticism of my major is always there, whether indirect or straight up, which brings me to these frequently asked questions and frequently made comments I am, frankly, sick and tired of hearing:
1. "What do English majors even study?"
"Oh, I don't know... English, maybe literature - oh, I read books!" *rolls eyes*
Like come on, it's one thing if you're actually serious, but this is just asking what my major even is. Like, dude, that's a little disrespectful. It's English Language and Literature. We all took English in middle school and high school, at least try and meet me halfway here with the questions.
2. "Damn, what are you even going to do after college?"
This actually goes really well with my next one:
3. "Oh, are you going to teach?" or "Are you gonna be a writer?"
FYI English majors do get jobs, even ones that do not involve teaching or being a full-time writer. (*gasps*) I know crazy, right? There are a lot of jobs out there for English majors because we cover a lot of different fields. You'd be surprised how many college graduates cannot even produce quality writing skills. That's where we come in. The extent of an English major's reach is endless. Plus, a major isn't your end-all be-all because not everyone is going to find a job that is directly related to their major -- that's why the real world is so interesting. Is teaching still a thing though, for English majors and others alike? Yes, it is and it's still super cool too.
Despite all this, I get the backlash and indirect condescending comments. I do. I understand all the work other majors put in because college in itself is difficult no matter what field you're coming from. After dropping my Chemistry and English double major down to my English major and Art History minor at the end of my freshman year, I can say I know what both fields of the spectrum feel like. I made that decision for myself and I wouldn't take it back for anything.
Now while I've spent the length of this article complaining about the qualms of an English major, I hope this gives you a little something to take away from the perspective of a major in the humanities. (If you're a humanities major, shoutout to you - we're great.) I care a lot about identifying as an English major and art history minor and take immense pride in it. Because of this, it's been hard witnessing the surprising amount of judgement I receive for just choosing to study a field that I love. In saying all of this, I acknowledge that not everyone out there is a critic and there are some amazing supporters of the arts from other departments and fields of study.
Still, I hope this brings a little perspective and notion of mutual respect for all majors because each field and each department matters and means something.
