When everyone in your major can fit in an average classroom, people wonder what the point of the major is in the first place. Especially at Carroll University where every other person is studying nursing, physical therapy, or Psychology, you start to wonder if a Bachelor of Arts is really worth it in today's world. Here is what you shouldn't say to writing majors.

1. "Your major is useless."

I know the job security for writing majors isn't a clear path. We can't all be doctors or engineers, but to say what we learn in college is useless is simply untrue. The problem with most liberal arts degrees is that they can be applied to many things. I can use my writing degree in public relations, publishing, editing, advertising, or marketing. There is more to the major than just knowing how to write a sonnet or writing a short story. It's a skill set. I can't help but laugh when my friends say my major is useless and then ask for help with proofreading and editing their essays. Not everyone has the same skills, so to say that it's a waste of time isn't correct; it's just not a clear path into a career.

2. "Nobody will read your work."

This one is always a favorite because it makes me want to work harder. I'm currently trying to publish a novel, and the process is daunting, but the problem most people don't understand is that it's not just a dream, it's a lot of hard work. You have to spend hours and hours writing, and then trying to find someone to want to publish it is another monster. It doesn't just hurt to hear that your friends have no faith in your abilities but as a writer you're used to it. The real problem when people say stuff like that is they haven't tried to do anything like that. I say just ignore them because criticism is so easy when you're sitting on the sidelines.

3. "Isn't everyone a writer?"

With most people who have a dream of being an actor, musician, writer, etc., there is this idea that there are so many people following the same dream that you should just give up. When I look at my school and see the other writers I don't think I'm in too much trouble since there are only about 30 of us year to year. I also find it kind of funny to hear this from Psychology majors. When one in five students at your school is studying Psychology, it makes more sense to say that everyone is a Psychology major. I never really understood why so many people go into that field. How many psychologists do you need? Is it because they're interested and think they would be good at it? These are the kind of questions writing majors get all the time. We picked that major because we find it interesting and are good at it and want to make a career out of it, just like everyone else.