While attending a liberal arts college, you might expect there to be a lot of people hanging out in the coffee shop discussing Homer and the Renaissance. However, in reality, there are not a whole lot of humanities majors. Especially those who fall into the study of English and Literature. Along with this rarity of a major, there comes a lot of stigma attached. As most already know, there are rumors that the humanities departments are dying out. No one wants to study stylistic writing and Shakespeare when you could study science and get a job with a hefty check attached after graduation (well, and more years of schooling). I honestly do not blame these students, because who really wants to be a part of a department that no one respects and seems to get abused? No one wants to join a club that has a bad reputation.
There is an obvious need for the English department which is to teach the incoming freshmen basic composition to ensure that they begin academia with a strong cornerstone for success. Which is normally taken with "Why do I have to take English 101, I know how to write. Blah blah blah." However, those who are interested in studying the wonderful world of literary theory and brilliant authors see the English department as a tool for their own success. While I could go into the very details that make English a diverse and successful, and not useless, degree, I will save that argument for the professionals.
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I will, however, allow you to indulge in the five most annoying questions and comments that English majors are absolutely exhausted of hearing.
1. "So what are you going to do with that?"
This is by far one of the most annoying questions to any college student, let alone English majors. Some of us know what we are doing whether it be teaching, going into publications, editing, or simply writing. However, most of us do not know what we are exactly going to do with our major. We just really love the written word and hope to incorporate our passion and talent into a good career. It does not help when someone asks you what your major is and then they respond with a slightly condescending question.
2. "Oh, you want to teach?"
Let's just say that you're a Biology major and someone says to you, "Oh so you want to teach high school Biology?" I can only assume that you would be slightly offended (unless, of course, your goal was to teach Biology). Now imagine getting that response every time you tell someone your major. No, I don't really want to teach. If I did, I would have been an Education major or I would have told you that I want to teach. Sure, I may end up teaching one day, but as for now, please leave teaching out of the conversation.
3. "Oh wow that's an interesting choice."
You might as well have just told me that I made a poor choice in choosing my major. In fact, you could not come up with anything else to respond with so you just told me that you don't care by covering it in seemingly sweet, sprinkled words. I know exactly what you mean and yes, it is interesting to me. That's why I chose English as my major.
4. "So you just read all the time?"
Yes. I do. I read. I write and analyze my writing and other people's writing. This is what my major basically is. Asking an English major if they read is like asking a Science major if they have lab. Reading is not all that we do, but it is a major aspect of our major. It's hard reading, not lounging around at a coffee shop and discussing the plot of "The Fault in our Stars."
5. "That's such a boring/useless major."
This comment is simply rude and arrogant. It truly shows that people genuinely no longer appreciate majors that are not about making big money or running major companies. My major is not useless. In fact, it is one of the most useful majors out there. Students who graduate with an English degree have a large range of opportunity in the realm of job prospects. Employers hire English majors quite often. Also, studying English helps students learn how to read, write, and respond more efficiently and enhances their overall view of the world. Take that.
It's important that we chose to think about our words before we say them. There are many majors that run under the radar when it comes to the idea of a successful major. It is also important to understand that just because a specific major has a reputation that leads people to believe it is useless, that does not mean it is. People who follow their dreams based on their passions are not making a poor decision, but a brave one. We are adults and we need to stop passing judgment on others for their field of study no matter how useless it seems.
