What do expert parents and English students or grads say re: English major?

[Anonymous]

Probably the least risky thing I ever did was choose an English concentration. It’s just a great degree for people who love communicating. I get paid 100s of thousands to talk all day, which I think is a much better deal than having to build bridges or develop software.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Probably the least risky thing I ever did was choose an English concentration. It’s just a great degree for people who love communicating. I get paid 100s of thousands to talk all day, which I think is a much better deal than having to build bridges or develop software.

Talk to whom? Friend AI?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People who question the value of this major don't understand higher education.

Agree with this. An English major is one of the most versatile majors - it develops writing, research, critical thinking, and communication skills which are essential to a wide variety of careers.

[Anonymous]

Good for pre-meds? Would English major pre-med help with admissions versus Biology or Psychology and minor in English?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good for pre-meds? Would English major pre-med help with admissions versus Biology or Psychology and minor in English?

Forgot to mention will do AP Lang & Lit and IBHL (highest at school) English and is on kitchen magazine and won poetry award, but is strong in sciences and will be APCalc BC senior year etc.

[Anonymous]

Why do so many English majors think that they have the only major that writes essays?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Probably the least risky thing I ever did was choose an English concentration. It’s just a great degree for people who love communicating. I get paid 100s of thousands to talk all day, which I think is a much better deal than having to build bridges or develop software.

Stripper?

[Anonymous]

This thread makes me think about my own qualifications and job.

I did poli sci and IR double major at a local univ and worked on the Hill and now am at an agency.

In some sense, the degree got me the direct experience I could put on a resume.

But what really made me able to do the job was being organized, writing well, and being a capable generalist.

In a lot of jobs it looks like an English degree qualifies you as a generalist who makes a specific claim of being able to write well. If you can prove you are relatively mature and poised and all that, it seems like an English degree is just fine as an attestation of job readiness.