Ah, the age old question. As an English major at a university known for its science and mathematics programs, if I received a nickel for every time I was asked this, I wouldn’t even need my degree because I’d have enough money to sustain my living needs for years. I often laugh when I have people ask me this because I like to think about what would happen if I were to ask them instead, what do you even do with (insert other major here)? They would most likely have a concrete answer ready to go without any hesitation. So why would my response be any different?

I am pursuing a degree in the English field because it is the one I am most passionate about, most skilled in, and most wanting to obtain a career in. So, I in turn raise the question: in what world would I put so much time, money, and effort into a field if it had no return on investment? There are an infinite number of jobs that English majors can acquire, many of which even fall outside the traditional literary field lines.

Personally, I hope to find a job in the publishing world or in an editorial department of an art and lifestyle publication. Written word is one of the leading forms of communication today, regardless of whether it is viewed electronically or physically on paper. For those who say English is a dying field, I challenge them to imagine a world without such a form of communication, a world without online or printed newspapers, magazines, memoirs, fictional books, etc. There is a reason for why that is a difficult task, and that is because people enjoy communicating through writing, just as I do. So, if someone else likes geometry and thus becomes an architect, why do I get questioned for liking grammar and therefore becoming an editor? Just a little food for thought on this rainy day. xxoo ACM