Everything you’re tired of hearing if you study English

English students are beyond fed up of hearing comments on how their subject isn’t worth studying, and many even start doubting their degree choice. Here are some of the other things that I am very tired of hearing.

“So are you going to be a teacher?”

Preferably not. I plan on leaving school and staying out.

Although most of us are probably studying English, because at some point, we had an incredible, inspiring teacher who made us fall in love with reading and writing, not every English student wants to become a teacher. Many English University students DO want to become teachers. But being a well-spoken English graduate doesn’t automatically qualify one to teach.

“An English degree is easy. You just read books”.

Well, this is certainly not true! Anyone who says this must never have ever taken a REAL English-course. English students are expected to read many novels EACH WEEK, do further research and write essays which definitely go beyond a summary of the book.

We all work at a coffee house.

Unfortunately, not everyone gets to work at the local coffee shop, and some of us may not even want to. Though the majority of us do sip on our favourite flavoured Starbuck’s lattes.

“What are you going to do with an English degree?!”

Although many people chose to study English because they are unsure of their desired career path, this, however, is the beauty of an English degree, you can follow many different careers paths when you’re ready to choose.

“We read The Great Gatsby and discussed it. There aren’t any jobs in the ‘real world’ where any of that is useful!” Many people do not realise that a degree in English provides you with many transferrable skills – oral and written skills, ability to analyse, ability to criticise (and the list goes on).

“There aren’t any jobs for English graduates”.

This is particularly untrue! Careers in copywriting, editing, freelancing, marketing, publishing, social media and (yes, you guessed it) teaching. And these areas are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the various fields you can enter as an English graduate.

“English is just for girls”

Just because girls have neater handwriting and can sit still for longer, this doesn’t necessarily mean they are better equipped to tackle the delights of studying English. Simply because people do not associate English as a ‘boy’ subject and that they should all become engineers instead!

We’ve read ALL the ‘classics’!

When someone finds out you haven’t read Great Expectations or Ulysses they are horrified. “WHAT? But you’re an English undergraduate!” A lot has happened in Literature and we’re probably reading new and relevant authors – ‘Ya know’ the more important up-to-date things!

We’re always judging the way you speak and write.

We still use slang (I promise) and still sometimes text lyk dis. Don’t assume we’re always picking apart your grammar, even though we probably are doing sometimes, so be careful not to anger our inner oxford dictionaries!