English majors get a lot of grief for being English majors. Whether it’s a concerned family member worried about your job prospects or a friend seeing you as the eternal “starving artist,” it seems there’s always something, to the point that many hesitate to even declare. Yet, there are so many perks to an English major, not even counting how much you love it!
1. Edits are easy!
Sitting in that 101 gen ed class, you overhear the people next to you discussing your upcoming assignment:
“I don’t know how I’m going to get that essay done.”
“I know, right? I mean, ten pages? Is she crazy??”
Oh, my sweet summer children, you think. Ten pages is nothing. In fact, you could get through several drafts if necessary (not that you likely will). Plus, you’re good at proofreading at revising! So good that your friends may even recruit you to help with theirs.
2. Few tests
Exams? What are those? Most of your major assignments are papers.
3. Activities
Image via Giphy
As an English major, the extracurricular world is your oyster. From The Gettysburgian and The Mercury to Surge and Poetry Circle, you have all the options you could ask for. Why not join Her Campus while you’re at it?
4. Aesthetic
We don’t spend all of our time working on our in-progress novels in a coffee shop, but sometimes we do and it’s just plain enjoyable.
5. Marketable skills
Why do people think English majors are unemployable? Apart from more traditional English careers, the skills you gain are crazy versatile. Writing, communication, comprehension…from crafting a persuasive email to understanding what your boss wants, you can use these abilities in pretty much any field. Use them to your advantage when crafting your resume!
6. MLA format
Arguably the easiest citation format. It almost makes up for all the writing we do otherwise!