We're often called, "the major that will make no money" and "just dreamers." We call ourselves "the ones that won't sellout" and the "dream chasers." I'm very proud to be an English major, even if I do receive a lot of criticism. It gives me a lot of freedom to chose what I want to do. I've recently declared a minor in creative writing, which will help me with writing movie and television scripts. You have to go towards what you really want, no matter what people will say because at least you will know that you've tried to live out your dream, and proving people wrong is so much fun! Here's a list just for you English majors out there:
You Know You're An English Major When...
1. People ask you "what are you going to do with your life?"
They act like you don't have a plan of action just because it's not as concrete as wanting to become a doctor or a lawyer.
2. People assume you want to be an English teacher.
Like there is nothing else that you can do for a sustainable living, such as being a freelance writer or a book editor.
3. People assume you have an easy life.
They picture you reading and writing at a kindergarten level, when in reality you have to decipher complicated texts.
4. People think you love to read everything, even a dictionary.
Whenever English majors complain about reading, there's always that one person who says, "why are you an English major then?"
5. Books are your friends and your enemy (Norton Anthologies).
When you get to pick out your own books, reading is a picnic, but when professors pick out monster books, reading is not so fun anymore.
6. You get swole from carrying too many books.
Muscles you never knew you had will start to magically appear once the semester begins.
7. You're against censorship of books.
The idea of censoring someone's work is heart wrenching because you would never want your story to go unheard.
8. You can explain almost anything.
English majors are taught early on to be able to find the meaning in any situation.
9. You over analyze everything.
In class, you have to over analyze everything such as colors to figure out what authors are conveying and this carries over into your everyday life, unfortunately.
10. You can make something out of nothing.
Her red dress can become a symbol of tragedy or heartbreak.
11. You can magically recite Walt Whitman or Nathaniel Hawthorne.
When people talk about nature, I respond as an old wise man would.
12. You get easily attached to fictional characters.
You often find yourself taking your favorite book everywhere because Harry Potter would be mad if you left him.
13. You're the theory master.
Your creativity and vast knowledge of dead people's thoughts help you make up a plausible explanation for just about anything.
14. You can argue in a structured manner.
Writing all those essays finally comes in handy when you get into a heated debate.
15. You're unintentionally apart of the "grammar police."
You find yourself correcting bad grammar as though it were your duty as an English major.
16. This is how your brain handles math.
At some point in your college career, you don't have to take math classes anymore and all those useless equations can finally go in the trash.
