My English Major Is NOT A Joke, But Thanks For Making Me Laugh
There are more careers out there than just "doctor."
The first thing my English literary theory professor said to the class was, "Writing is hard," and they certainly were not wrong. I am pretty sure we all agreed on that one. Writing takes a lot of effort, and it's not something you just "do" (unless it's getting close to 11:59 on the due date and you have procrastinated a little too much). It takes tons of brainstorming, drafting, editing, and sometimes, a little blood, sweat and tears. OK, that was a little dramatic. I have definitely shed a few tears, however. Maybe a little sweat, if we refer back to that 11:59 deadline.
This is why I can't help but laugh whenever I hear someone refer to my major as "fake" or my English classes as "easy A's."
It baffles me, honestly. English classes involve a lot of deep thought and participation, and they can be highly rewarding in the end. As a creative writing major, I get a lot of sh*t. Every day. From dirty looks to nasty comments, people just can't seem to come to terms with writing being a real-life major. Even some teachers from high school told me I was "wasting my education."
Way to be supportive.
When I first started college, I was a pre-med major. I had always loved writing and English classes, but I never knew about all of the career possibilities in the writing and English field. I ended up hating my pre-med major and found my passion with writing last semester. However, my other pre-med friends didn't quite understand the switch. At first, they even thought I was joking. After a while, they started to drift out of my life, which was pretty absurd. They seemed to only want to be friends with people in their same exact major and judged others who weren't. Well, newsflash: there are other careers out there than just "doctor."
The cool thing about being a writing/English major is that the possibilities are endless.
I don't feel confined to just one career, and I get the chance to be creative in every way that I want. Writing is so freeing and can be pretty relaxing once you get the hang of it. The thing about it is, a lot of people claim to hate it. Which leads to a limited supply of effective and efficient writers. People also claim that writing is dying, but they couldn't be more wrong. Writing is in everything, from advertising to books to social media. Everywhere.
Now, I know I can't change everyone's minds, but that's OK.
I don't need to. As long as I stick to my goal and keep writing on, I will be able to prove them wrong in no time. I may not be a surgeon, dentist or lawyer, but I am a writer, and that's just as important. If you're a writing major like myself, don't get discouraged by the comments of those around you who don't relate. Like I said, write on.
