English is capable of defining gushes that the human nervous system is entirely unqualified of experiencing. However, today, people are afraid of studying English. They think it’s all about being bookish, but that’s an absurd misconception.
An English major discusses possibilities, discovering alternate theories, learning the connection between literature and history without using math. Who wouldn’t want to study it?
It’s pretty baffling as to why an English major gets such a terrible rep. Perhaps this is because it is an open-minded subject that demands the student to think, “What can I do with these skills?” Or because it may seem as a subject that lacks a built-in career path like finance, real estate, or marketing.
There are almost a million good reasons to major in English as people choose to do so. To study literature is to study people and learn how they express their experiences of the world. Interacting with these people through their words is also a brilliant way to learn more about yourself and grow beyond your current self-definitions.
If you’re still struggling for inspiration, we have you covered. Below are seven reasons to study English as a major.
- 1. For the uncontrollable pleasure of reading
We come to read English with insight and understanding. We find satisfaction and surprise in the well-wrought sentences, assessing their contribution to poetic effects and inventive plots. We find provocation and discovery in the interaction with perspectives, discovering their capacity to imitate and even change the world.
An English major embraces a long history of human meaning-making. By studying a series of books, we can encounter the strange and know better the acquainted, drawing complex observations into articulate language. So if you’re looking to exercise your passion for reading without having to attend a brick-and-mortar school, a BA English online is a perfect choice. It stresses literary analysis, critical thinking, oral and written communication skills, and diversity via a rigorous curriculum. All of this with the added flexibility to study from the comfort of your favorite reading couch!
- 2. To see things through other eyes
Not just see but also learn how we appear to others. Reading literature written from a diverse perspective can help us understand the speckled voices and experiences that establish our world. Through literature, understated voices can be heard. Poems, novels, plays, and non-fiction essays offer spaces for engaging with a difference – a vital task for our society.
- 3. Learn transferable skills
When it comes to career choices, English graduates have a spectrum of options and gain the propensity to work in almost any industry. Self-sufficiency and being able to investigate information are just some irreplaceable skills you will acquire with an English major. These skills are transferable in various careers ranging from education, law, politics, etc.
- 4. You become an effective communicator
English majors tend to be excellent communicators, which is why it makes sense that a lot of them go on to work in communication and media. The major enhances public speaking and critical thinking skills required to excel in these positions. Even if you don’t intend to work in a communications-related career, oral communication competency is the most crucial skill for any professional in any workplace. Besides that, having practical communication skills is necessary to be an admirable manager in the workplace.
- 5. To write beautifully, intelligently, and persuasively
An English major teaches you the value of using the right word at the right time. When you study literature, you get to train your writing buds and sustain them. In addition to this, you get to focus on articulation and critical thinking. Your instructors help you find a proper place in a unified thought. Whether you write business memos, song lyrics, legal briefs, or novels, you can apply the writing skills you develop and hone everywhere.
- 6. You learn how to process complex ideas
English majors are well-practiced in discovering complex themes and ideas in texts. The thinking that blends with studying humanities grapple with both details and big ideas. Hiring managers and businesses acknowledge the benefits of this form of thinking. In short, companies like to hire English majors because they know how to think. They have all the analytical and writing skills they need. Therefore, you might want to give that “I don’t want to study English as a major” a second thought.
- 7. Reading fiction cultivates empathy
Only with an English major will you discover the strange acuities of learning. Take fiction, for instance; it helps develop empathy. Research shows readers may ripen more compassion than others may. Even if characters are fictitious, their writers aren’t. Therefore, reading is a way of understanding someone else’s stance and experiences. So it goes without saying, bookworms might be better at understanding human beings than any other.
Conclusion
Are these reasons enough for you?
More than just any subject, an English major can transform you, nurture your oddity, and give you the means to feed it in unique ways. Besides that, English majors can excel and succeed both in the working world and inside the classroom. So go for it because once you start studying literature, you will forever be free from conventional ways of thinking, writing, and communicating.