If you’re an English major…. you should know how many opportunities you have.

Some people scoff when someone tells them that they’re an English major. They should really know about all the unique opportunities this major can grant them, though. Personally, I want to be a secondary English teacher. That’s not all that I could do though. With my English degree, I could get a job in publishing, editing, advertising, journalism, and human resources. Also, English is one of the top undergraduate majors for law students!

If you’re an English major… your homework is usually something you already enjoy doing.

I don’t mean to state the obvious, but most English majors enjoy reading and writing. Well, guess what most English classes require: reading books and writing papers! Of course, you’ll come across some books that you hate, and some papers that just don’t come out right. Everyone must do things they don’t like sometimes though, right?

If you’re an English major… you get an opportunity to share your voice every day.

Through writing, we express ourselves. English majors are constantly being encouraged to keep writing, and to write about something that means something to them. We also have many opportunities to participate in writing contests and poetry slams. College English departments practically BEG you to share your work.

If you’re an English major…you will be stereotyped.

(Okay, to be honest, every single major harbors their own stereotypes. That’s just another part of society in general)

One of my professors asked us to share something that annoys us as English majors one day. We all had similar complaints. Such as when we tell somebody what our major is and they say “Oh, I hate English.” Great! I probably hate something you love too! We also are expected to know how to spell every single word in the English language. Sorry that I don’t know how to spell the name of the town you grew up in, I forgot to study that in high school English class.

If you’re an English major…you’re automatically going to be the editor of all your friends’ papers.

I personally enjoy reading my friends’ work, so this is a perk for me. I think it’s a compliment when someone trusts you enough to read their writing. I know how vulnerable I feel when I show people my work.

If you’re an English major…you get to study the complexities of the human mind.

In my opinion, there’s no better way to figure out the human condition, than by reading literature. Human beings have been writing their thoughts, feelings, concerns, heartbreaks, celebrations, and stories down for centuries. While a lot of what I read is fictional, I still learn more and more about how people really think by reading books. Maybe this is why I considered majoring in psychology first….

If you’re an English Major…you can look forward to having friendly (or not so friendly) debates about books you read with your classmates.

There’s been many a time when a friend and I have disagreed about a certain beloved novel or author. One time it got so serious that half the campus knew we were arguing about it, and then everyone offered their opinions as well. These are the moments I love, no matter how frustrating other peoples’ opinions may be.