Ways to explain being an English Major???

[Orangey]

There's always law school. Join us. It's a way to put off the "real world" for three more years. (I was an English major too)

Please...there are cheaper ways to do that than going to law school (that last longer than three years, too) .

 

[Tallulah]

I still think having to explain yourself to someone sucks, but here's what I tell my freshman comp students. No matter what major you choose, and no matter what company you work for, you'll still be expected to organize your thoughts well. You'll be expected to back up your assertions with credible evidence, and present it in such a way that your audience can follow you, and hopefully, agree with you. You can know all the facts, but if you can't present it in an organized and interesting way, your knowledge is fairly useless. And if you can't speak well, people will be much less likely to take you seriously in the first place. All of these things are covered in an English writing class.

 

[edcoaching]

There's always Garrison Keillor... I really should get a P.O.E.M. shirt...

Did you hear the episode where Garrison as the English Major corrected the convenience store robber's grammar? "That would be 'whom', not 'who.....'"

 

[Synarch]

In a rather typical NF fashion I majored in English because I like to read and write. An ST friend just made a sarcastic comment about the stupidity of English essays, saying "When you're done, what good is it?" He didn't buy my line about critical thinking or about providing insights into human nature that build leadership and even marketing skills...

Anyone else had success explaining "fluff" majors to STs???

I would have unloaded on that guy. I have a degree in English and Philosophy. It has made every difference in the world for me. First of all, I did not go to college just so I could lace up my shoes for the rat race. I wanted the polish and urbanity that comes with a liberal arts education. I want to learn about our human world, the humanities. The humanities have always been the keystone of education.

Most leaders of men do not major in engineering or mathematics or biology. Engineering has nothing to say about human relationships, history, or the story of our race. I can go to any business and communicate anything I need to intelligently. You would be surprised how rare this is. Communication is everything. And yes, it is probably unsurprising that I am in marketing.

 

[Venom]

I would have unloaded on that guy. I have a degree in English and Philosophy. It has made every difference in the world for me. First of all, I did not go to college just so I could lace up my shoes for the rat race. I wanted the polish and urbanity that comes with a liberal arts education. I want to learn about our human world, the humanities. The humanities have always been the keystone of education.

Most leaders of men do not major in engineering or mathematics or biology. Engineering has nothing to say about human relationships, history, or the story of our race. I can go to any business and communicate anything I need to intelligently. You would be surprised how rare this is. Communication is everything. And yes, it is probably unsurprising that I am in marketing.

im going to both agree and disagree with you:

leaders of men: business week did an article a fews years ago asking CEOs what they thought the best major was for a future CEO. The results were surprisingly pretty similar among who they asked.
1.engineering
2.economics
3.then business


I will however say that the best repsonse to that person is to point out the fallacy of believing that everyone should only major in career minded majors.

so would you prefer the entire school only major in business, biology (for MD), econ (business or law), poli sci (law), computer sci and engineering? Companies benefit from having differently trained individuals. Having an entire workforce only trained in a couple of majors can create blind spots.

If he simply responds that, "yes, we should only have those 5 majors," then he's not worth you're time to argue further.

 

[FDG]

haiz ai magior in exniomiz hand I knuw only equatzionz

 

[sandwich]

"I wanted to have fun in college."

 

[wedekit]

In a rather typical NF fashion I majored in English because I like to read and write. An ST friend just made a sarcastic comment about the stupidity of English essays, saying "When you're done, what good is it?" He didn't buy my line about critical thinking or about providing insights into human nature that build leadership and even marketing skills...

Anyone else had success explaining "fluff" majors to STs???

I would have to hear all of his accusations against you to make proper rebuttals, but here is what comes to mind so far:

1) Writing is one of the fundamental ingredients for a prospering culture/society. English majors are people who value this importance, and maintain the integrity of the written language that plays such an important role in our modern life. Humans as a species don't live lives based purely on instincts. We rely on the structures that those who have come before us built. Literature is how we keep record of those structures, through both fictional and non-fictional texts.

2) Essays prove to the teacher that you are capable of taking the information taught in the class and communicate it back onto paper. One of the most important qualities ALL types of employers value in employees is writing skills.

3) Written language can be one of the most important mediums when it comes to personal expression of one's thoughts or beliefs; some things are better communicated in stories rather than spoken word. In fact, philosophy and fiction compliment one another. I can learn more about human nature from Man's Search for Meaning or Mrs. Dalloway than a conversation with a disgruntled ST.

 

[edcoaching]

The wisdom of this thread is rising to the point of spurring on an essay. I think I need to save a list of each point made. Thanks to all! And really solid points, Wedekit

 

[The_Liquid_Laser]

I saw an article today that mentioned some facts about salaries for liberal arts degrees.

Can You Learn What You Love and Still Make Money

A recent survey by Payscale Inc. found some good news for bachelor's degree graduates in the liberal arts. High starting salaries can be found among a number of broad-based liberal arts degrees. Here are a few bachelor's degrees that pay you back:

Starting Salaries
History: $39,200
Communications: $38,100
English: $38,000
Sociology: $36,500
Your salary could see a lot of growth as your career continues. Liberal arts graduates also reported higher salaries about ten years after commencement. Check out the mid-career salaries of popular liberal arts degrees:

Mid-Career Salaries
History: $71,000
Communications: $70,000
English: $64,700
Sociology: $58,200

 

[Kollin]

I was also a English major. Interesting since I'm more of a INTP.

Naturally, as is typical of my type I like analyzing literature and I was an ok writer...

I probably would not have dignified your friend's comments with a response.

 

[Rajah]

I don't think an English major is inherently more or less rigorous than another major. It's an awfully big time commitment, what with the insane amount of reading and writing. It really does hone your analytical skills in different ways from the hard sciences. It's not that one is better than another; they're different and will generally attract different people.

I'm sick of the social sciences or humanities getting a bum rap from hard-sciences devotees. I also think academics in the social sciences and humanities perpetuate the stereotype because a lot of them buy into this natural-sciences envy. They often try to shove social-science theory into a natural-sciences box. Frustrating.

 

[Jae Rae]

Just saw the first book today:

Amazon.com: i'm an english major now what: Books

Amazon lists the second title as well:


Amazon.com: Great Jobs for English Majors, 3rd ed. (Great Jobs Series): Julie DeGalan, Stephen Lambert: Books

 

[edcoaching]

Just saw the first book today:

Amazon.com: i'm an english major now what: Books

Amazon lists the second title as well:


Amazon.com: Great Jobs for English Majors, 3rd ed. (Great Jobs Series): Julie DeGalan, Stephen Lambert: Books

Thanks--what great graduation presents!!

 

[Mempy]

Well, I wouldn't buy that reason either, but I have no real problem with the choices people make - so long as they make them for themselves.

Least for myself, and I would think more for Ps than SJs, you can generally explain it as "I know it may not be as financially viable, but I love it and can't imagine doing anything else". They may not *understand*, but they tend to accept that.

SJs? Uhh... Good luck. I haven't had any luck with them either

Haha, exactly.

Edit: Another would be:

"I'm awesome, and you're not. You were asking seriously, right? I'm sorry, I tend to answer questions seriously the first time around."