Growing up I thrived in language arts and English classes. I would read ahead for assigned books. I loved learning about analyzing literature. I wrote short stories or blogged about myself. It's just what I'm good at—and not "good" as in I have some sort of gift. I mean it in a way that studying English or writing or reading is something that I have effortlessly kept up with. Different hobbies and interests came and went over the years, but I never stopped grabbing a new book.

When that nerve-wracking, stomach-sinking, inevitable question came up "What do you want to study in college?" I realized I never gave it much thought, but English was probably going to be my path. That answer, asked by my parents' friends or my co-workers, was almost always met with an eye roll. "What can you do with an English degree? Do you want to be a teacher? Are you going to write a book? Are you sure that's practical? Good luck finding a real job!" And my personal favorite that makes me grind my teeth every time—"I hope you end up marrying a doctor!" Cringe.

I get it, I guess. There aren't a ton of obvious options for those of us that go to school to study English. But if I wanted to be a teacher, I would study education. Most book writers didn't study English in college. I'm sure it's practical because it's what I'm passionate about learning. Thank you very much, but I am growing my resume with internship opportunities in marketing and blog writing. And if I wanted to marry a doctor—I'd be hanging around the college of medicine. Besides, not all of us need fancy cars and houses. And if anyone tells me that again I'm going to call them out for being entirely sexist and judgmental of my education and career path.

What most adults don't realize when they ask that question, "What do you want to do?" they're looking for either some sort of impressive answer or one they can judge you about. I wish I could say I want to be a doctor. I wish I could tell my parents and their friends that I want to be a savvy businesswoman. Unfortunately, my brain just isn't wired that way.

So I went to school for marketing. I figured, business school probably isn't that difficult, and marketing seemed like an ok fit for me. I was wrong. Dead wrong. So wrong that I failed multiple classes and took a semester off to figure out my life. Absolutely nothing about the college of business interested me. I was never excited for class. I dreaded my educational experience. I wasn't making like-minded friends and my professors just seemed too snotty. Not to put down anyone that studies business, because I admire you for actually passing so many accounting and finance classes, but I realized I was not the type of person that could thrive in the dog-eat-dog world of business entrepreneurship and people that always wore suits. Nope. Not for me.

My mom was the one that told me to just do what I love, what I'm good at. If I'm going to spend thousands of dollars on my education, shouldn't it be worthwhile? Shouldn't it make me happy? Ever since I switched my major to my true passion, I could not be more grateful. I didn't know I could feel so fulfilled learning about writers in different literary eras. I didn't realize that I could be excited to write research papers. Studying English in college has given me confidence and purpose. I used to just want to get through school—no clubs or internships or events. I just had to get through it. But now I have taken every opportunity that I can, whether it's an internship, or writing in my spare time, or submitting poems and essays to magazines or blogs for writers.

No—I do not plan on marrying a rich doctor. I plan to study what I love. I plan to take my education in writing to gain experience with writing. I can be a copywriter. I can monetize my own blog. I can research in databases for relevant information. I can write to appeal to specific audiences. I can do more than read Walt Whitman (although that is enough on its own, in my opinion). Education is what you put into it. It's four to five years of constant studying and learning to grow as an individual entering the job market. I learned that sacrificing my passion for what is going to make me "successful" only held me back.