When I tell someone that I'm graduating with a BA in English, the first and most annoying question I get asked is: "oh my gosh, an English major? What are you going to do with that? Teach English and write papers?" No. No, I am not. There is nothing wrong with going into teaching after pursuing an English degree, but it is not what every single English major does, and it is not the only thing we are capable of after achieving a degree in this field.
I might want to study literature or pursue a minor in linguistics and study language. I might even go work for TMZ one day if they will hire me. I have a large variety of things that I can do with my degree; so, please, don't ask me if I'm going to teach in a demeaning tone. That's rude, and I've studied really hard to do something that I love. That something might have nothing to do with grammar or writing essays or correcting my mom when she texts me.
Don't ask me if I'm going to teach because as amazing as I think teaching is, I think there are more avenues for English majors to pursue, and I think it does them an injustice to not realize what they are capable of. You don't ask a theater major if they're going to teach, you ask them what they want to be. You ask them if they want to act on TV or be on Broadway.
Ask me if I specialize in anything, like British Literature or Communications. That will give you a better hint of what I want to be. You might find out that I love the journalism aspect of things, but there wasn't a journalism major offered at my college. You might find out that writing is the worst part of my degree, but being able to read endless literature and look into literary theory is something I absolutely love doing. That question might open a whole new point of view that you never knew existed within the realm of English majors.
Ask me if I'm taking on a minor. You might find out that I love looking at rhetoric or linguistics. I might throw you for a loop and have a minor in a different language.
You see, being an English major opens up more than teaching. I could teach at colleges if I wanted to. I could also go to law school or become a reporter for a newspaper. I can do so much. This idea that an English major is limited to grammar and paper writing isn't fair. We can learn about the history of the English language, which has nothing to do with writing a paper. We might study literature from a certain place or era. We can, without a doubt, catch your grammatical errors, but we can also hold a great conversation on other things, like the probability of using our degree to develop a new theory of literary criticism. We, English majors, can teach you a thing or two about being an English major. It leads us down a road with endless possibilities; we are not limited in our career fields.
