1. “You’re going to be a teacher?”
No, that would actually mean that I would an be an education major, not an english major. This is a really huge misunderstanding. Every single person who has said they are majoring in English has heard this statement before. I'm not sure why. Being an education major involves learning different ways to teach students, while an English major focuses on interpreting literature and refining writing skills.
2. “Oh, so you want to write books?”
Well maybe, but there’s so much more to do. Many students with English degrees go into journalism, publishing, law, public relations, etc. Any job that has to do with being able to read and write well, a person with an English degree can probably do. We can understand what we read, and write so others can understand us.
3. “Can you write about me in your book?”
If you have to ask, then the answer is “definitely not.”
4. “Your homework must be so easy.”
If you call analyzing countless pages of literature and then writing essays about it easy, then yes. My English major friends and I spend more time doing homework than all of our other friends. We are never "done" with our homework because there is always more to find in the text and more to write in our papers.
5. “All you have to do is read? I have so much studying to do.”
At least your tests have correct answers. Like mentioned in number four, we are never finished with homework. Plus, we usually have two or more novels to read in one week.
6. “Oh, are you going to correct my grammar now?”
Not out loud... we English majors definitely see your grammar mistakes in texts, and even as you're talking. Unless we are fed up with it, we usually won't mention it to your face.
7. “Is Shakespeare your only friend?”
Although most English majors may find him cool, Shakespeare isn't the only writer that we look up to. Our syllabi are filled with different authors, and depending on the class, sometimes we don't even read Shakespeare.
8. “That’s not a real major.”
This one is a low blow. Not only is it a real major, but it requires a skill that not everyone possesses.
9. “Do you want to write my paper for me?”
If you pay us, because apparently we're wasting all this money on a major that isn’t real....
