It was not my intention to be an English major when going back to college in the fall of 2014. I had intended on being a Food and Nutrition major and had a couple of courses that were still valid with that major since the last time I attended college. I had my mindset until I realized I hated Anatomy and Physiology.
I ended up failing those classes, mainly because it was difficult, but more than that, I was uninterested. I found myself thinking in the middle of my lectures that I didn’t belong there. It didn’t feel like the right fit, but it was my last semester before I could transfer, and didn’t want to change my major so abruptly. However, I felt the same way during my chemistry and my Food and Nutrition class but ignored the feeling. What was in the back of my mind throughout that fall semester was a career in writing.
Since I was a child, I loved to read and write. Apparently, I wrote some amazing poems the summer when I was 11 years old, but they were somehow lost during my household’s annual spring cleaning. According to my aunt, she read one that made her cry. I loved English classes, and I usually did well in them.
I decided to try a couple of English classes in the fall of 2015. I took an American Literature and a fiction writing class. I learned that I was a shitty fiction writer, but I loved to read, write, and analyze other works. This convinced me to switch to English and pursue a writing career.
Part of being an English major requires stretching your imagination, and although I wasn’t keen on writing short fictional stories, I strived to improve. I challenged myself on what I could and could not accomplish through my writing as often as possible.
I enjoyed the idea of editing the works of people who were talented enough to write a full-length novel, or anthology, or collections of poetry. I’ve had years of experience, with helping my family edit work e-mails and documents, ensuring they well written and professional. I once had a cousin call me simply to ask how she should write an e-mail to her professor about dropping a class.
I’ve had everyone from customers at my job to family members giving their two cents about my career choice.
My hairdresser recently told me,
“You have to go to San Francisco for a career like that”
and her response has been the most accurate so far.
The best ones are the aunt who’s convinced I’ll help her write a children’s book or the people who look lost when my response is:
“No,”
when they ask if I want to be an English teacher.
When I tell them I want to become an editor or a publisher, they tend to look puzzled and remain silent. Teaching can be a rewarding career if one has the patience, which is something I am lacking.
However, there is much more to the average English major than teaching. The career options for English majors are diverse, from my editing and publishing to a career in law, journalism, screenwriting, technical writing, poet, or novelist.
But, the general public stereotypes the idea that the only career in English is teaching. It may not be a degree in Engineering or Nursing, but for those interested, the rewards of a writing career are endless. Many technical writers are landing jobs within top companies such as Google or Apple.
Since many news publications are converting to online platforms, the variety of writing careers within the tech field are expanding.
So no, I won’t be a teacher, but I will be doing something that makes me happy.
