Are you pursuing a B.A. in English? Getting your B.A. in English takes a special kind of person. People who have a B.A. in English don’t do it for the money. Truthfully, only a very small percentage of college graduates with a B.A. in English hit great fame and wealth. That’s not to say you’re B.A. in English will only equip you for a job at your local coffee shop — there are some cool careers that are open to graduates of the English program. However, you’ll love having a Bachelors degree in English only if you were meant to be in this line of work. Here are a few signs that you are meant to pursue a Bachelors in English:
Eight Signs You Should Be an English Major
- You unashamedly accept the title of Grammar Nazi.
You get a mild anxiety attack just scrolling through Facebook. Why do people have such low regard for the English language? You unfriend people who have no understanding of “your” vs. “you’re” or the ol’ They’re/There/Theirs debacle. If someone doesn’t know when to use “it’s” and when to use “its'” you suspicious of all of their life choices. Maybe you even have a scrapbook of newspaper clippings where poor grammar was used. We don’t judge. We have one too. - There is no difference between your assigned reading and the books you read for entertainment.
You’re kicking back at your local coffee shop, delving into one of your favorites when someone asks you if you are in Professor so-and-so’s class because they have to read the same book for them. No, this is just what you call a great Saturday off. - If you were independently wealthy, you’d choose to live in a library.
Working at a bookstore isn’t going to make you rich (especially if your paycheck goes directly to your book addiction), but it would be a dream come true for you. In fact, when you watch Beauty and the Beast, the love story doesn’t do much for you, but the scene where the beast give Bell a whole library for a gift brings you to tears. Where’s your beast? - People who aren’t English majors don’t get you.
The nuances of the English language really excite you. The adventures that you can go on through the written word make you want to break out in a sweat. Using words to paint a picture is the most incredible action a human can do. Not everyone agrees with you, because not everyone is called to be an English major. - But when you find a fellow biblio-phile, you know you’re a match made in heaven.
What’s this? Someone wants to discuss the idiosyncrasies of Flannery O’Conner with you? That’s when you know you’ve found your soul mate. As Beyonce says, “If you have the same taste in literature, you should a put a ring on it.” - You turn your nose up to blogging… but it slowly sucks you in anyway.
Yes, we agree that blogging is an evil that allows people with no grammar skills or even spell check to have a platform. We agree that blogging is possibly the end of the pure written word. We agree that blogging can very easily turn into fluff. We also judge bloggers for not being real writers.
But then… blogging gives you a venue to discuss the literary works that makes everyone around you slowly edge their way to the exits when you bring up. - You choose a career based on what will support you until you make it as a writer.
If your feet are planted on planet Earth, you probably understand that your writings probably won’t make you wealthy right away, so your major choice isn’t based on what you love, but by what will support you until your novel is published. Maybe you’re looking for writing-related careers, like copywriting or editing. The point is, if words are what you love, you’re meant for the English field. - You turn everything into an outlet for your writing ambitions.
Writing a text message? Throw an analogy up in that. Creating your resume? Time to sharpen up those writing skills. Tweeting? How would Shakespeare express himself in 140 characters?
If we just described you, it’s time to accept that you are meant for a career in English.
