If you're anything like me, then the beauty of the English language is not something that you merely stumbled upon while racking your brain for a feasible major; it's a passion that you've nursed all throughout your life until you were finally given the chance to hone your skills in college. Admittedly, many people don't see how meaningful it is to unpack the human mind through language - literature essentially acting as a window into the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of others from across time. However, English Majors see that amazing power and delve into it, exploring all of humanity as opposed to simply "reading a book" or "writing an essay". But while it's true that no two English Majors are exactly alike - each with unique interest, talents, and areas of expertiss - there are several inescapable college experiences that all English Majors can relate to. These are ten of the most common:
1. Tests are foreign to you.
Once you graduated high school, tests became a thing of the past. Now, you have lengthy papers, writing portfolios, research presentations, and piles of books to read! But while these assignments may alleviate the pressure of a pencil and paper sit-down test, the work load often feels far more intense!
2. You could hammer out an MLA citation in your sleep.
All papers require adequate support in the form of reliable sources. However, you can't reference an author or another piece of work without properly giving credit - a reality that English Majors know too well! Odds are, you've become so familiar with bibliographies, that locating publication info to create perfect citations has become second nature.
3. You adore annotated bibliographies.
Although you love to read and write, there's no denying how hard it is to start a semester-long, multistep research paper. That's exactly why you love annotated bibliographies: a low-stakes compilation of relevant sources and materials. With all of your research complete in advance, all you have left to do is hammer out that A+ paper!
4. A 20 page paper limit feels impossibly small.
Once upon a time, grade school English teachers assigned 2-3 page papers that felt monstrous and absurd. How were you supposed to fill two entire pages with grammatically correct perspective on the meaning of T.J. Eckleburg's eyes?! However, that anxiety now feels laughable as English Majors tend to come across a different conflict: how are you suppose to make any sort of thorough argument in only 20-25 pages?!
5. It's hard to refrain from correcting everyone's grammar.
english major's are very careful bout there grammar. Did that sentence make you cringe? That's because you're so accustomed to masterful use of the English language, that mistakes are downright painful (even when somebody else makes them)!
6. All classes turn into moral debates.
There was a time when characters, setting, and plot were all that you needed to know about a book in order to get through school. As an English Major however, books take on a whole new significance as you learn to detect precise details, underlying messages, and moral conflicts. This complexity then lends itself to passionate class discussions and heated debates; there is never a dull moment in a college level English class!
7. You're well acquainted with the school's library.
Whether you're hunting for a reshelved book or simply working in the peace and quiet, the library has become your safe haven. At times, you may even find yourself camping out for entire days, only to emerge for food on occasion.
8. Being forced to pick a favorite book/author is torture.
For an English Major, picking a favorite read is like being asked to choose your favorite child; each book has so many wonderful attributes - characters, conflicts, writing styles, etc. - that a definitive choice is often impossible.
9. You resent the school's math and science requirements.
Many schools require that you step outside of your comfort zone by fulfilling a handful of credits outside of your core major. For English junkies, that often means enduring a seemingly pointless math and/or science class that completely deviates from your interests. But while English Majors are equally capable of working with numbers and new concepts, there's no denying that most of us would much rather spend that time in the throes of our beloved literature.
10. You often prefer books over real life.
As an English Major, you may have discovered that immersing yourself in a world other than your own is a thrilling way to escape day-to-day constraints. Regardless of whether you like to read it, write it, hear it, or speak it, language is a beautiful and understated way to connect people, to communicate ideas or desires, and to construct alternate realities that manifest with emotion and detail in the reader's mind. So while it's true that you may have been given one life at birth, who's to say that it's the only life you'll ever get to experience?
