When I was younger, telling people I would be a writer came easy. It was never just a potential path or a simple dream; to me, it was inevitable. Of course, I have always known it is not the most practical career path, but that didn’t matter as long as I followed my passion.
I don’t think I questioned what I wanted to do until my junior year of high school and the college application process began. I was in a place where I didn’t feel like a good writer, I barely read anymore, and I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. Most of my writer friends who were amazing at it were planning on majoring in STEM or business-related fields. They were better writers than me, and if they weren’t going to major in English why should I waste my time and money? I began to treat writing as a sort of fling that’s only meant to last through adolescence. I seriously considered majoring in something business-related. I would burn out in two seconds if I attempted STEM, and humanities did not seem practical. A few people even told me to minor in creative writing if I wanted to do it so badly, and major in business.
As I researched the colleges I planned on applying to and the programs they offered, I realized how much I would dread doing anything other than English. I remember looking up Virginia Tech’s programs specifically. For a Creative Writing minor at VT, you only have to take 18 credit hours. That was not nearly enough. I looked at all the Creative Writing classes and wanted to take all of them. I wanted to learn and improve my art. I realized the difference between me and my other writing friends: I wanted to put in the work. I wanted to be a writer and succeed as a writer. Maybe some people don’t agree with me, but I believe that if a person really wants something and they work for that thing, they will get it. I applied to colleges as an English Major– my version of a “practical” major– and only seriously considered the school if I knew there was a program that promised Creative Writing in some capacity.
As my first year at Virginia Tech comes to an end, I would not change a thing. I’m double majoring in English Pre-Education and Creative Writing, and I am so glad that I dedicated my education to becoming a better writer. People always ask me what I can do with an English degree. Someone told me recently they don’t understand why anyone would ever major in English. I don’t know how to tell people I want to be a writer the way I used to tell them. No one would take me seriously. I usually say I like writing and have time to figure things out later. I want to relearn how to be unfaltering towards my passion, to show people the practicality of it. After all, what’s more practical than dedicating yourself to something you’ll never grow tired of?
Writing isn’t a hobby or something I do to pass the time. It is an important and prominent part of my life. I don’t need my work to be known. When I publish something, I won’t care if only one person reads it. As long as I follow my passion, I will be successful in the way I think matters the most.