Something else I feel like some people should know about the English major is that participation and discussion is literally a part of your grade....you have to get comfortable speaking up even when others aren’t...I remember being in a class where I was one of the 3 or 4 main people speaking
That is SUCH a great point! English majors definitely should be comfortable talking in a group setting. I'll make sure to discuss this aspect of the major in a future video! Thank you for watching and commenting!
I’ll be graduating with my English degree in May and it’s hands down been the best, most difficult and stressful thing I’ve ever done . I don’t regret the sleepless nights and the pages and pages and pages of writing , revising , editing until I can no longer think clearly . This major has improved my life in so many ways. I communicate better, I understand my world better, I empathize with others better, and what I love most about it, is that by studying and analyzing literature you learn so much about the world around you. English majors almost always study a text from a historical perspective and are asked to find a connection and relevance to our modern world. It’s an exercise that is so undervalued in this technological era where math and science dominate. Without the humanities, we lose our humanity. That’s what I’ve come to learn. So anyone who says English degrees aren’t valuable most likely has no idea what it’s about and I challenge them to find out and then think about how the world would be without literature .
i have wrote and felt the exact same thing the other day on my journal, im very happy to realize that some people do know how undervalued literature is
Another thing: Being an English major IS NOT easy. A lot of people in the same major are competitive, and there’s most likely gonna be people so much better than you in writing/communication. It’s still an art-like subject. If you were good in English in high school, forget that. You’re entering a realm of Holy-Jesus-Sickening-Christ, so don’t expect to think you’re going to be top notch in your classes because you can write well...it’s different....
Yes! This is such a good addition! I think that there are a good portion of people who choose an english major because they think it will be easy and it only adds to the idea that you can't get a job with an english degree because people who just try to get by and make it easy don't learn all of the skills that an english major teaches. Even for people who enjoy it, there can definitely be a shock as they realize the demands of an english major and the talent and intelligence of your peers. It's wonderful because it makes you push yourself and learn more, but it can definitely be difficult to adjust to when you're not expecting it. Thank you for watching!
I want to be an English Prof. and also a writer. English is my ace subject. English is more than a subject to me tbh, it's my dream, it's my passion. I am an Indian who is obsessed with English. It's a world of letters, sentences, paragraphs and everything else. The most beautiful world I can ever describe. It's a passion, it's a reason to live, a reason to wake up daily and a reason to read. English is my everything, I know it, I feel it and I don't have words to describe how badly I am in love with every aspect of this language
same here!! i hate when people talk negatively about the english major because it gives me--a depressed nihilistic--a reason to live, and that’s worth more than anything. i cried happy tears signing up for next semester courses because i’m so happy i get to study this stuff
im going to be a creative writing major. ive been writing since i was eight and all of my teachers tell me not to give it up because they say im going to do great things. i hope their right. :))
I'm sure they're right! One of the best gifts of an english degree is the other amazing writers you'll meet and learn from- both as your professors and your peers! Good luck, I'm sure you'll love it!
I recently graduated with a BA in English, and it was absolutely worth it. However, I would strongly encourage any students who are English majors/considering English as a degree path to go one step further to make it a beneficial experience. Get involved in campus organizations where you can use your writing and communication skills (lit journal, newspaper, etc.) and get an internship (or a few). For English majors (even more than for some other majors, I would argue), it is important to explore career paths and figure out what you like doing because there are so many options available. Additionally, the skills you gain through putting yourself out there and trying new things are quite important when it comes to job-seeking. Yes, the classes themselves give you the foundation you need to succeed, but it is up to you to take advantage of the resources you are given. Don't be scared to try new things (you are capable of more than you ever dreamed!) and be prepared to invest extra time into extracurricular activities/work opportunities.
I'm 17 and I want to major in English. I like all fiction though so I'm a bit worried because I get easily bored with nonfiction and I don't want to be bored if I have to read nonfiction for an assignment
Hey, Danielle, thank you for watching! I totally understand the aversion to nonfiction (I was probably saying the exact same thing in high school!) It turns out that nonfiction is super important for english majors! The main kind of nonfiction that I've been exposed to in my classes is academic sources. Mainly these are secondary sources that discuss things relevant to something in class. I know it sounds pretty boring, but they are really helpful for developing a deeper understanding of a reading or concept. I appreciate them so much more in college than I did in high school!
Hey, Mikayla! Please don't be intimidated by the books! I LOVE to read and i definitely haven't gotten to all of them! I definitely think that reading is important for any writer and if you plan to study it, you'll at least have to tolerate it in your classes. However, whether you can be a writer without being a big reader all depends on what kind of writing you want to do! i think reading is nearly essential for creative writers, others' writing helps inform our own, but if you want to do something like copy writing, journalism, or marketing? Reading literature really isn't such a huge emphasis and there's no reason to put unnecessary stress and pressure on yourself! If your passionate about writing, I absolutely think you should give it a shot, the worst that can happen is you change paths!
@@MeganReneeToday hey Megan what about Somone who just wants to take a leap into it as something new , I'm going back to school at 28 to major in english , I'm not and avid reader though now but I'm willing to try
I think being willing to ty is a huge part of it! And it is so incredible and impressive to be going back to school, kudos to you! If you want to start reading more, think about the kind of movies and TV shows you like to watch, then look for books that have similar themes, characters, or genres! The books you read don't have to be classics or a thousand pages long to be valuable!
So very informative Megan. It’s really valuable for interested students to hear the pros and cons. I love you passion and I loved you what you had to say about racism in your comments.
I love writing and I want my career to be intertwined with writing. Originally, I was a journalism major but I think I’m going to change my major to English. What do you think? Also, I love how passionate you sound about English and I love it!
I’m 19 and I’m starting to think about it, I really love reading your message on everyone’s comment. You give good advice and I’m definitely leaning more towards doing it
I found this video recently after deciding to drop out of a masters in counseling program to pursue an English degree. I’ve been so depressed recently which was shocking after i was so excited to earn my bachelors in counseling, but what i learned was that I really just enjoyed learning about the different concepts and learning about people. But literature, poetry, and writing has always been my passion and always something i come back to. My goal is to be a Literature professor after working my way up. Thank you so much for outlining this!
im 24 and haven’t been in school for a few years. i’m going back in january and i’m considering english major. super excited but nervous!! ive always loved reading and writing.
Thank you for this video!!! I’m a high school junior right now (class of 2022) and I’m heavily considering majoring in English! I took AP English this year and it was amazing!! It filled a part of me that I didn’t know existed. I got As and I’ve always lovedddd literature so I’m super excited to hopefully major in English!
I am graduating with my A.A. degree in the spring and am considering transferring to a BA English program. I want to be a teacher and I have always loved reading and writing. It is so stressful but the most enjoyable and rewarding at the same time. Thank you so much for this video!
One question for you-- what are some of the content areas you learn besides essays? Whenever I think of "English Major" all I can picture are essays but I am sure there has to be more. Lol. I hope this makes sense.
There are definitely A LOT of essays I must have written tens of thousands of words over the four years (if not more), but surprisingly I find that I miss having a space like that for analysis. But, of course there are other things as an English major. Lots of readings and even some looks into history and politics to understand the factors and context that play into a piece. There’s also a lot of discussions so you can interact with other students and their analyses, which can be really interesting. Every professor has their own preferences for teaching and while many stick to essays as the primary framework for their classes, some might prefer oral presentations, Socratic seminars, or even group projects. One of my finals (though not for an English major class) was actually an “unessay” where we could use basically whatever form was most appealing to us to portray a topic we had discussed in the course!
I know it's an old video but incase that somebody happens to stumble upon this comment, I want say that, even though presentations and discussions are a major part of an English degree, do not let it scare you away from trying. It might seem scary at first but you will get used to it eventually and hearing other people value your input and helping them see things in a new light (and vice versa) feels really validating. If an anxiety ridden ass like me can do it, everyone can. Also don't worry too much about reading papers and other nonfiction stuff. If you genuinely love literature and are the kind of person who likes to overanalyse everything you'll fit right in.
I wanted to be a journalism major, but after really digging deep and barely finding any colleges that I wanted to go to offering it I've chosen English. I feel like I'll be super happy with it and this video really has me excited.
Thank you so much for watching! An english major is a great degree for someone who wants to go into journalism! You can also pair it with a minor or double major that can help you with a journalism career! I'm so happy that my video made you excited about choosing an english major!!
I'm doing a grammar game and was wondering about taking a few English classes to help me with the content. Now I want to add some literary texts in the game :D
Hi I'm a student from English major from this year 2021 and though English is not my first language I really love to read. And as different countries have different ways of educating but I just hope can also get idea of what others curriculum were. I have watched all your English major topic videos and I hope you can make video content about what what you read in the first year... I really appreciate your effort that helps us(students) to stay motivated.
That's a great idea Jyoti! I'm planning a video going over all of the classes I've taken in my english major, but I'll definitely see if I can pull together the books I read my freshman year! Thanks for watching!
Okay so I guess iam the only 8th grader in the comments really excited to go to college kinda to be a major in English I love writing and making stories can't waitttt and I love to read thxs for the video 💞💞💞💞
When I was in middle and high school I couldn't wait to get to college and start taking the classes I was so passionate about also! Thank you so much for watching!
Another hidden English major skill is wooing women. Love messages carefully crafted works wonders. My girlfriend is amazing and other than my English skills I'm kinda lackluster.
I just liked your videos! I am studying English lang & lit and when im confused im looking for this kind of videos, thanks & hope you'll get so much more subscribers :)
Im thinking about majoring in English because i really like it and i love reading novels and watching english stuff but im not really into being a teacher and everyone is telling me that its what i'll probably end up doing so that made me really nervous and i still dk what i wanna do for living but i'm scared that there aren't enough opportunities work wise especially that i have an opportunity to major in computer science but i love english
Being a teacher is only one of the options with an english degree! I did a video about jobs you can get with an english major ( ruclips.net/video/T9YvpTPafuU/видео.html ) and there are even more than I mentioned here! One thing I love about an english major is its versatility! A lot fo industries need good writers and effective communicators and there are so many diverse options that you can try different things and see what you like! You can always double major in english and computer science or minor in one and major in the other if you enjoy both!
I know a wealth management advisor whose undergraduate degree is in English and has an MBA in finance. He says he would do it again since communication skills are critical to success in financial services.
Thank you for sharing this, Gary! I really appreciate hearing this and I hope lots of viewers see your comment too! It's really nice to hear how an english major can be helpful in the finance world!
Hi so I I’m going into my last year in sixth form(from the uk) after the summer and I want to do an English at uni but I don’t feel like the best writer and I’m not the top of my class but I love reading and the analysing of text but I don’t know if that’s enough to get me through a whole degree of English. Reading these comment and seeing people talking about how they love writing whilst I’m not the best makes me feel like I don’t have a chance but I’m definitely always trying to improve... I just don’t know if I’m doing the right thing and every time I tell some I’m thinking of doing English they think I wan for be a teacher which is kind of getting on my nerves because to be very honest I have know idea what I want to do but I feel like this is right but I don’t know😔
Hey, great video! I was wondering when you take an English 101 class, is it geared more towards writing/grammar rules or is it more literature? If it gears towards both options, then which one do you see more often?
Hey, Abdul! Thanks for watching! In my experience, most colleges include two english classes in their General Education Program that all students have to take. The names and numbers change depending on the school, but usually one is more research based while the other focuses more on literature. Of course, with an english major there are many more classes that people will take and the track that somebody takes will determine if their classes are more focused on literature, grammar, research, or something else! I hope this helps!
I really like analyzing writing I’ve been getting A’s in my basic English classes since junior year (sophomore in college). I find it so much easier to read as a class (whenever I read at home I fall asleep 😬) I really like the idea of being a writer (I find it so much better) should I make English my major? My number one fear is reading an entire book a day and not being able to keep up.
Hey, Terell! Thanks for watching! Being an English major definitely requires a lot of at home reading, so I would recommend starting with taking a few english classes and seeing what you think before declaring a major. I would also try working on strategies to help you with at home reading assignments! One thing you can also do is start slow and small and build up your reading. It doesn't matter if you start with Cat in the Hat, just read a little every day and start completing larger books and you'll build on the skill. It can be really hard with the expectation of reading entire long, old books, but if you start somewhere more manageable, then you may even find that you enjoy it! Good luck!
Hey, I was looking through videos on English majors and just came across yours and loved it! I’m currently in grade 12 and I’m really confused about what I want to take in university. I really enjoyed English and learning about different perspectives, but I’m not so sure if I “fit” into the English side. And to add to that, I’m a really shy person so I was wondering if that would impact how I would do in English? I know that discussions will probably be the main part in an English major but do you think that taking an English major might develop my “confidence”? And this was an amazing video btw💕
Hey, Jasleen, thank you for watching! I'm so glad you like my video! If you're feeling unsure I would recommend looking into different majors and what is expected of students in each of them. Don't worry there's no one way to be an english major, it's all about if you love it. It's okay to be shy as an english major. Discussions, both in person and online, are a part of being an english major, but that's not all of it. It also helps to be discussing with other people who enjoy literature, which can help with confidence! If you like learning about different perspectives maybe an anthropology or sociology major or minor would be worth looking into? Good luck!
I been thinking about majoring in English cause I write poetry, now I'm interested in learning about fiction and nonfiction to write as a career or expand my knowledge of literature and nonfiction (philosophy, history, or journalism). Thanks for giving good information ☺️👍
Hello! I'm currently taking up BS Nursing and apparently, it wasn't what I am passionate about than I thought it was. Then I found this video talking about taking up English major and such. I'm actually a huge fan of international shows or movies, and I liked writing in English because it helps me expressed my emotions and feelings properly. Quick question. What advice can you give to a Nursing student like me, which is currently at 2nd year, but then, suddenly had an interest in pursuing English major? Thank you for the reply and have a wonderful day ahead!
Hey, Michael, thanks for watching! If you are considering a significant major change like this, I would recommend with starting by taking a few english classes to see if it's what you want to major in! I'm so glad you enjoyed this video!
I'm not an English major. Currently I am taking English 201/Honors Advanced composition. I started off really strong but for some reason my anxiety and avoidance coping put me in a really big hole which furthers my avoidance. I don't know why this happened. I was a great student in my English 101 class and it inspired me to take the honors class but now I feel like I lost myself. I'm here seeking some wisdom from people who are English majors. Maybe I'm just typing my feelings down but I just want to be the great writer that I thought I was. It's taking an enormous amount of effort to deflect the self-defeating thoughts and negativity. I just feel really alone too. Remote/Online learning puts a huge disconnect from me and the classroom. This could be a reason I avoid but I don't want to get into excuses. I do miss going to class and meeting and seeing everyone and I found peace and comfort in the library. I can tell you are passion about the English major and I'm intrigued that you are taking creative writing. I think that is something I'll like because I am tired of academic composition papers that argue or analyze. Thank you for you video, it meant a lot to me.
Hi..! Here I am incredibly interested in English and also like... based on job opportunities, I'm now taking this path. Although idk what exactly I can be in future, I trust my decision and moving ahead.... The only fear is that English is not my mother tongue, so obviously I'm not a hotshot .......anyway tq, video helps a lot ...and yeah! even the comments below 😇
Thank you so much for watching, Swathi! I'm glad you liked this video! I'm sure it will take some more work to get used to the english classes with it not being your mother tongue, but I'm sure practice will make it easier and easier! Good luck! Let me know if there are any other videos you'd like to see on my channel!
I'll graduate in two months from high school and i really want to decide what to do. I'm in LOVE WITH ENGLISH LIT, i love reading, writing and listening to English in general ( I'm from Egypt ). I'm just worried about what i'm gonna do afterwards ( becoming a teacher is a nightmare ), i've always wanted to be a journalist/novelist... So i don't know if going into English will also help me to get a job in journalism or what especially that i'm in a non English country... I'm afraid that people who graduated with a journalism major will take all the jobs, and i won't get a chance to be anything.. You have any advice for me ??
I'm scared to major in english even though I want to be a english home teacher my grammar and spelling is very bad and I have the worst grammar and spelling in my whole AP class I think maybe I'm not good enough since people who Excell it ela think the major is hard so how about me when I can't even do basic grammar right
I just received my associates degree and I am planning on becoming an English Teacher, as much I can read and write a lot of pages, I am not sure if I am really wanting to this or not?
Hey, Rohan! Thank you for watching! I actually only took one AP class my entire time in high school and, while I enjoyed the class, it is definitely not a necessity for college. There's a push for people to take lots of AP and AICE classes in high school, but a lot of that is rooted in the money that schools get for every student that takes the classes. I'll work on a video talking more about this subject! Great question!
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i'm 15 right now and i definitely want to take an English major when i go to collage. But the thing is, i really do not have the confidence to speak up or talk to other people besides my family and friends. Any suggestion or tips for me to get out from my comfort zone?
This is totally understandable! I would just start out small, maybe follow some writing or english major accounts so you can start seeing more people who are involved. Maybe even start your own account eventually if you feel comfortable! I know you're still a few years away from college, but maybe see if you know anybody around you now that wants to be an english major or even just likes to read or write and build your confidence talking with them! Thank you so much for watching!
Hey! I want to study literature definitely, but I'm pretty scared of it. Everybody tells be how difficult it is and it kinda makes me chicken away from my dream. How do you keep yourself in the mindset of being able to do everything? Your answer could really help me. (Also it's worth to mention I'm not English but Hungarian, so if my English is not on point, please forgive me. I'll study hungarian lierature)
Hey, Hédi! I think the most important part of being able to keep up with an english major is loving it. I love reading, and writing, and learning more about the craft, and the different things I get to do and learn as an english major which makes it a lot easier to keep up with the demands of the major. It's definitely a lot of work, but if you enjoy the work it makes it better. If you have a specific career in mind, it can also help to think of how this major can help you get to that point. Thank you so much for watching I hope this helps!
Im going to teach english, my lsicsens to teach english , DOES IT EVEN PAY GOOD LIKE IF I NEED TO WORK PART TIME ILL STILL MAKE A ENOUGH? I HAVE CANCER AND MAY NEED PART TIME
That's tricky because writing is definitely a major part of this major, but it may depend on what your expecting. With a literature track, writing is mostly academic with a rare creative writing assignment. if you're concerned about the writing aspect of the major, I would recommend taking a few english classes before you make it your official major. That way, you'll know if it's what you're looking for!
I’m about to become a senior in high-school and since 1st grade, I’ve always wanted to be a author. So I want to go for a creative writing degree, but I don’t know what college to go for. I live in Florida and I’ve been making lists for colleges since 8th grade and I can’t narrow it down. Any advice on how I can reach my dream job?
The first thing to know about being a writer is that there is no one way to get there. My best advice would be to be open to trying anything that works for you, if you pigeonhole yourself into thinking it can only happen if you send 10 cold queries a day or by entering competitions or by going to x school, you could very easily miss the best way in for you. As far as narrowing down schools, look at each of the schools as a whole. The best creative writing program in the world could be the wrong school for you because it's too far from home, or the school itself isn't the right size for you, or any other reason. I would start by looking at all of the schools on my list and decide which ones I really couldn't see myself spending the next four years of my life at. Depending on how many schools are then left on your list make sure that all of these are practical schools for you to go to whether that's financial or otherwise. Once your'e down to a list of schools that you both can and want to go to if your list is still too big for what you'd like, I would go into which programs you're most excited about. Look at how the creative writing/english program is designed at each of the schools and decide which ones are most exciting for you. Good luck!!
Hey Megan! Just clicked on your video because I have some doubts. As a kid growing up, I loved to read. It was my hobby and pastime. Eventually, I stopped reading on my own in 8th grade since we got books assigned to read (which many I enjoyed). I realized I love to write, but I feel like my vocabulary is not the best and my writing is not great. I am now a freshman in college, and I am still debating about what I want to major in. I want to switch to an English writing major. I feel like it would be dumb though since I haven't read as much anymore and I am probably as good as others. What do you recommend?
Hey Natalie! I also loved reading as a kid, but as I grew up I made less time for it and read more through classes than for leisure now as much as I'm trying to improve that. It's totally okay to not be reading the same amount as you used to as an english major I know plenty who don't get to read as much for leisure as they like or used to. As far as being good enough, english is a very subjective major, good and bad changes with a lot of factors. Sometimes I write something for a class that I really don't like, but one of my peers really does, and the same happens the other way with pieces I really do like. A creative writing major teaches you about the craft, gives you lots of examples, and the rules so you know if and when to follow and break them. If you're feeling a pull towards an english major I absolutely encourage you. If you don't feel ready to jump all the way in to changing your major, you can start by taking a class or two and see what you think! Thank you so much for watching!
I love reading and writing, and choosing an English major I feel is going to be a great choice for me. The only thing I want to know is: "Am I going to have time for a part time job if I choose it?" And is taking freelance writing work during college a good idea?
Hey, Ishmael! Thank you so much for watching! An english major can definitely take up a lot of time, but it all depends on the person whether a part time job makes sense for them. The same with freelance work, it all depends on the person. I would recommend working the summer before you head to college and saving up some money, then not working your first semester so you can see what kind of time you'll have!
I am an author and my whole life dream is to study English Literature major and I am saving my money to go to UK even I am 46 years old, hope I could save a lot of money for that goal.
Yes! Part of the creative writing track at my school requires taking two semesters of two different writing workshop classes! I'm taking scriptwriting and fiction writing, but poetry and nonfiction writing are other options. They teach you about the craft, show you other writers and/or their tips for writing, you share your own work and exchange critique with classmates, etc. Of course, because writing is objective, it's different than learning things that have clear definitions that are always the same, but you learn about what has worked, what hasn't, and what you want to be writing. A lot of writers I've seen will say that you have to know the rules f you want to break them, so a lot of writing classes help you understand the rules and then you as a writer get to decide what you want to do with them. I hope this is helpful and thank you for watching!
If you think STEM is all about matching the answer in the back of the book, then it shows that you haven't experience stem outside of high school. Often times, we're taught the bare minimal and it is up to us to come up with the logical leaps to get to the answer in the back of the book, or an answer that matches lab result. Not everyone would come up with the same steps and it's ok so long as it is logical. And there were times you have to think outside the box on finals while using the framework you've been learning throughout the course to get an acceptable answer. I wasn't a lit major. My high school English teacher didn't show me that they can communicate effectively. Not when they were discussing what the authors did not write and called it literary analysis. I was convinced that i wanted to have as little to do with liberal arts courses after that experience. My history teacher did suggest that I try some liberal arts classes, and was sure I would find something I'd enjoy. I did find it when i took my philosophy class. The readings and lectures were logical, succinct, and concise. I enjoyed it so much I added philosophy to my engineering degree
It's been a long time since I filmed this video so I'm not sure what exactly you're reacting to in this video, but I would agree that my knowledge and experience with STEM is limited. I've taken very few classes in the field since high school and it's not my personal focus. I also don't think that there's anything wrong with the fact that STEM subjects offer a more straightforward style than english and literature do, it's just different. It's important for people to understand that difference before going into an english degree so they can be prepared and decide if that is something that they are interested in. I would also agree that STEM subjects include thinking outside the box and finding different ways to come to the same conclusion, but not in the same way that english majors do. Nothing better or worse about either, but this video was made to help prepare those interested in the idea of becoming an english major so they could have a more accurate understanding of what that looks like. In an english or literature class, students don't have to come to the same conclusions or in the same way, we are asked to analyze readings to find different ways that they can be interpreted. The most important thing is that students are able to support their analysis with evidence in the reading. My only problem with STEM is when people assume that STEM is better than another path or major or that it is the only worthwhile choice. I think STEM is very important and is the right choice for many people, but I hate to see people told they shouldn't major in something that they're passionate about because it isn't in the field of STEM. Other than that, I'm very happy for anyone that is passionate about STEM and chooses to pursue a career in the field. There's nothing wrong with english and literature not being what you enjoy, but I would hope you wouldn't accuse me of assuming I know everything about STEM based on high school level experience and then correct me on being an english major based on your high school level experience. Just because analysis reveals what isn't written explicitly on the page, doesn't mean that it isn't there. Literature incorporates a very different kind of analysis, which is something I love about it and want to share and celebrate with other who are interested. Totally fine if that's not you, you can skip my english major videos or my entire channel in general! I'm glad you were able to find something you enjoyed in your philosophy class, it's certainly an interesting topic!
@@MeganReneeToday First of all, I'd like to sincerely thank you for this elaborate response. Here are 2 points I was responding to. Most of us STEM majors have heard of the stereotype about us being trained as robots learning about procedures to find the answer in the back of the book and it gets old. Some people treat the entire program as such because they are just there to get a degree and get some marketable skill(more on that later). But as the saying goes, it's about the journey, not the destination. Many of us study STEM because we enjoy learning how logical deductions of previous knowledge lead to new ones. If you just care for finding the final answer without understanding the process, you'd either suffer the entire way or get kicked out early on. I understand your point about STEM majors only concerning ourselves with hard evidence that isn't open to much interpretation, but we have to develop this habit because it sometimes is a matter of life and death, especially in an engineering or medical setting. And speaking of interpretation, we can have many different models(mathematical methods) to describe the same phenomenon so long as the model accurately describe what we observe. The second point that I was reacting to was the assertion that literature develops communication skills. I certainly did not experience that from my high school ap lit teacher. She just instructed us to read between the lines, look for what the passages symbolized, and gave us her interpretation as her examples without holding our hands to come up with our own interpretation when we struggled. Communication is about effectively delivering ideas and I, as the audience, did no receive them. She may have a way to communicate to a portion of the class, but telling everyone that you would see it if you think about it without telling us what it is way too subjective for me. I do agree with far too many people going into STEM treating college as a vocational school. I wanted to major in mechanical engineering because I like machines. Along the way, I found the math that describe machineries fascinating. In college, I was accepted into a BA/BS program retroactively and I decided on philosophy for my BA degree just after one class. To this day, I find myself reading those textbooks once I'm a blue moon To my dad's dismay, I did not choose economics, even though that would have been the easy way, and engineering because I wasn't going to spend 5 years only learning how to solve math problem. While I may never find literary analysis appealing, I do respect the effort that people put into it to obtain a degree in literature and the skills that literature majors have that I don't. I'm in IT where I spend half the day reading documentation, but put me on the sales team and I would not know what the customers are hinting at. Having been through that BA/BS program, I can appreciate the difficulty in both subjects. And if my children wants to study literature in college, I hope I can understand their passion toward the subject.
I'm considering an English Major because of a Master in translation due to the job opportunities (instead of directly getting into translation), but I'm not a reader at all and I'm scared of the huge impact it could have on me to go from 0 reading to constant full reading for years. Is it that bad? Does it get too heavy? How much do you read in a week?
really helpful:) i mean i’m only 16 i’m probably going to change my mind about what i want to do like very quickly but this seems so fun. i’m an okay reader, i do have a case adhd which does interfere with that but nonetheless i do enjoy reading and writing (writing especially is really therapeutic). I’ve always been intimidated by the idea of going into this. Also i do write too much (sorry for the long comment) lol but what i wanted to say was thank you for the video.
Hey, Bryan! Firstly, my apologies if any of this sounds a little wonky, I'm about to go to sleep but I saw your comment and wanted to reply before I do! I also have ADHD! It can make reading difficult, but I've found some ways to make it easier so i can enjoy it more (maybe I'll do a video on this!). I also have a video about my favorite fidget toys (ruclips.net/video/z7WyTmP2SC0/видео.html) and I'm planning to do more! I totally get how therapeutic writing is! Something physical to do with my hands AND it gives me something to do with my daydreams? Sign me up! There's nothing wrong with changing your mind, it's actually something I like about an english major- it's broadness allows for opportunities with a lot of different things so you can jump around and see what you like! Don't worry about a long comment, mine is too! Thank you so much for watching, I'm glad you enjoyed!
I am attending the University of Houston this upcoming Fall semester as an English major with an applied linguistics concentration. Does this mean I am going to look more at the structure of the English language instead of the literature? Have a good day. Thanks for the information!
I honestly couldn't tell you with complete certainty what the degree program at the University of Houston will look like, but based on my experience I can guess what it might look like. My assumption would be that an English major with an applied linguistics concentration would have more general english classes as the base(my creative writing track included many literature class requirements with only a handful of strictly creative writing courses) with the higher level classes being more focused on linguistics, which would be focused on language. The program at your school might be different so I can't say for sure, but if it doesn't offer the literature classes you're looking for, perhaps you could minor in literature or take some literature classes separately if you have space throughout your degree. Thanks for watching, Leonardo!
is the english program really competitive? What if my average is the bare minimum? But my english marks are always at the mid 80s or higher never less than mid 80s
It all depends on the program. Some programs are more competitive than others, but it's definitely a good thing that your english scores are the place you do better! If there are any specific programs you're interested in, I would look into their acceptance rates and how they make acceptance decisions, maybe even reach out to alumni. Luckily most programs look at more than just grades when making decisions, so if you're scores aren't quite where you want them, there are other things you can focus on to make your application stand out. As an english major, your essay will be really important for showing the program taht you can write well, so put a lot of focus into that. Good luck!
I had mostly A's and B's in my classes, and I'd done above average on my SAT, and I did fairly well on my ACT, especially the reading section, where I got a perfect score. I also did well on my AP Literature exam. I started at a different school my freshman year, though, and I've done much better in college, so i had better grades when I applied to UCF. I hope that helps!
That must be really difficult! Hopefully your parents are coming from a place of love and concern. Unfortunately, there is a misconception that art and humanities degrees don't lead to strong careers. I would recommend looking at some careers that you would be interested in and do some research into them and show your parents what you find. I posted a video listing a few job options for english majors if you're interested! ( ruclips.net/video/T9YvpTPafuU/видео.html&lc=UgxASoQLFE6DS266bw54AaABAg )
Hey, it might be too late for you to reply, but I’m good at speaking when in a group of at least three, I think that it helps me when there is more than one person to respond or critique, but I’m HORRIBLE at one to one speaking! It always feels so awkward for me to work with a partner like that. I do really like writing and reading, but I’m really scared that my incapability to speak one to one will affect my course. Should I still go for English?
Hey, thanks for watching! In my experience, I actually think group discussions tend tp be more common, either in an online format, or in a live discussion. Of course, every teacher has their own style of formatting their classes, but I haven't had too many one on one partner assignments in my english classes. I think part of the reason for that is that an analysis of literature benefits from multiple backgrounds and perspectives so a larger discussion is usually helpful. If you're still feeling nervous, you can always wait to declare your major until you take one or two english classes to see how comfortable you feel in that setting. I hope this helps!
Can I ask something? What if I'm not that good in english but I want to be an english teacher because I want to learn it . Do you think I will pass it?
If you're nervous about being able to do well as an english major, I would recommend starting with a few classes while you're doing your general education classes. Another thing you can do is start reading and analyzing literature and poetry now to practice. You can also see if you can find practice assignments online to practice beforehand. Good luck and thank you for watching, Jurielyn!
I think it all depends on the person and the situation! I don't think there's anything wrong with getting an Associates in English Literature if that's what makes sense for you!
Hello thank you for such an informative video it means a lot for the people like me who are lost between two different worlds of science and literature but to be honest my heart longs for literature and this scared me before cause you know how people view it so i had my doubts haha(I honestly dont care anymore though) and I totally agree with u i love it’s ambiguity and how there’s several analysis according to everyone’s perspective! to cut it short what are the most important skills that i should have before enrolling in such classes and how can I practice them because im so clueless (I read & write poetry from time to time i have a huge interest in discussing novels and analyzing characters) If ure reading this Help a girl out
Thank you so much for watching, Rachelle, I'm so happy my video is helpful for you! That is such a great question and I will be sure to film a video on it! In the meantime, I just filmed a video about discussion posts that I think will be helpful for your question and it will be up on Wednesday! To quickly answer your question, I think the most important thing to go into a literature class with is passion. If you care about what you're reading and analyzing it will really show through! Good luck!
@@MeganReneeToday what a thoughtful response 💓💓and i will definitely make sure to watch your upcoming video girllll!! I totally agree with you that you should be passionate about it and this doesn’t concern me much but what does concern me are the English lit graduates who say that their own degree is useless and claim that science has more opportunities They say that “writing “ is just a phase and advise people to not fall for it I even read something sick which was “no one actually cares about ur analysis to this novel (for example)there are people before you who probably did it better “ What are your thoughts about it?
Awesome! It's about discussion posts which might not seem to have so much to do with your question, but I broke down the process of analyzing a piece in the video, which might be helpful! I totally get what your saying about even English majors who say our major isn't getting them jobs. What I think a lot of that boils down to is internalized ideas about the arts. I'll go into more detail in my video, but essentially, our society has so undervalued and under appreciated the arts (despite how prominent a role it plays in all of our lives artist or otherwise) that even an artist can fall into the same trap. If we believe that all we're doing is wasting our time and playing games while all of the STEM majors are doing the "real work" we won't recognize or utilize the talents and skills that we learn in our studies. Sure, maybe on a first glance analyzing a poem might not feel immediately valuable, but what I've learned through the practice of analysis is how to analyze the world around me. Recognizing that an interruption in rhyme scheme creates an uncomfortable feeling for a reader and can emphasize a theme on an uncomfortable topic like death, then I can use those same skills of analysis to recognize the importance of visual themes for a company and if a change in the visual theme is going to occur in a social media post or even an internal document, I can both understand and effectively communicate the circumstances in which that should be done and the weight of doing so. Companies are built and sustained on their brand and visual identity so this is incredibly valuable for a business. That is only one example, but my point is that when we constantly tell artists that their work and effort is meaningless and frivolous and they are selfishly taking time that only benefits themselves, those artists don't realize the skills that they have learned and won't put them on their resume or utilize them in the workforce. As far as the writing is a phase thing, for some people it may be. If you're not planning a career in writing it may be simply a hobby that follows you through life, or for even a short period of your life. In no way does that make the writing less valuable. Doing things that make you happy, even if they aren't an actively making you money are still valuable and worth doing. Some people have a day job to fund hobbies that they're passionate about. There is nothing wrong with doing something that makes you happy even if it doesn't last forever, explore that ad explore what it brings you. You will still learn skills if you look for them and apply them to the jobs you take. For example, recently I have seen people saying that writing fanfiction is a waste of time and a bad thing to do. It stems from ideas that everything we do has to have capitalistic and economic value to be worth doing. However, someone who writes fanfiction is still learning valuable skills. they are learning to create and stick to deadlines, they are learning to deal with an audience and both positive and negative feedback, they are learning how to write original work that my mimic a style of another created work which is incredibly valuable for someone who needs to be able to maintain a company's tone and writing style. As far as the people not caring about your analysis thing. It's just not true. It's another way for people to devalue the arts. If no one else cares, I care. I care deeply about the different analyses of pieces of works, but I'm truly not the only one. Your professors care so much about reading people's analyses of different woks that they made a career out of it. They get paid to teach people how to analyze and to read their analyses. On top of that, there is not necessarily a better or worse way to analyze something or a better or worse analysis. There are different points to be made, and different ways to see a piece, but as long as you can find textual support for an analysis, then who I am to say what's better? There tends to be a misunderstanding about analysis that it's about finding the right answer. It's not. It's about finding an answer. It's about understand literature in a variety of ways, about seeing everything possible in a piece. Most of the things that I analyze in a poem were probably done completely by accident. A writer may not have intended to use many plosive sounds in a poem about war, or interrupted their rhyme scheme in the last line in a poem about death and grieving, but by acknowledging and addressing the results of those actions, we better understand the poem. It doesn't have to be intentional, which mean that you're not analyzing what the writer was necessarily trying to do, but rather what can be found in what they did anyway. Anyways, clearly I have a lot of feeling about this, but I'll go into even more when I film. I hope this helps a bit!
@@MeganReneeToday i can’t help but smile at this since it clarified a lot of what I clearly misunderstood because i don’t know anyone who’s a literature graduate/student but my teachers who i donr feel very comfortable with discussing this subject so a huge THANK YOU sending you a lot of love And i believe that a person who does it just because they think it’s “easy” (which it’s not) are the ones who don’t see the real beauty behind literature and the same people who think science is what we live for (they’re missing out a lot lol) And again thank you for pointing out everything i asked At least now i know what to expect and be realistic im very excited that I’ll HOPEFULLY get to study what I actually like !!!
I am so, so glad that my answer clarified things for you! You're absolutely right, there are people who choose an English major because they think it's easy rather than caring about everything available and it can skew the view of the major. Good luck in your studies, let me know if you have any more questions!!
Hi! I hope this is not too late to ask but I'm 18 and I'm going to be in college this year. I'm planning to get Bachelor of Arts in Literature. Is it the same thing as being an English major? Thank you!
I considering becoming an English major w a business minor but I’m not sure what careers I can get into with those two together. Do you know any site or knowledge on that 😅 I was originally going to major in business and minor in English but I love English so much more I just want a logical plan so I have an idea of what I’m doing 😊 great video btw❤️
I actually did a video about 6 jobs you can get with an english degree! It's a huge misconception that English majors can't get any real jobs after they graduate! I also think business is a GREAT pairing with an english major! Thank you so much for watching, I'm so glad you like this video!
thank you so much for the insight. I am a psychology undergraduate major with a minor in criminology. I have always been interested in literature, and was considering doing a post-bacc while I work. It was so helpful to understand that there is no right and wrong, granted their is provided evidence. I also enjoyed the fact that your experience is determined by your dedication. Lastly, I truly enjoyed how you explained, that it is insightful to understand why or why you dont like a particular text. Much love!~
Hey, Naomi, thank you for watching! At my school, creative writing is a track within the english degree. Some school may have a separate english and creative writing degree, so it would depend. Generally, a creative writing degree focuses more on the student writing stories (so poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or script classes) where students are writing the work instead of analyzing it. Students in creative writing classes may still analyze other people's work, but it is done in order to teach them how to be better writers. There are two other tracks that are offered with an english major at my school. Literature and Linguistics. Literature is more reading and analyzing literature and when students write in those classes it is more focused on analyzing readings rather than creating your own. I haven't taken linguistics classes so I don't have very much knowledge, but I assume those classes look more into the structure of language and what makes up language, perhaps even not focused solely on the english language? There are also Writing and Rhetoric degrees and Technical Writing degrees. I honestly couldn't say much about them with authority, I just don't know much about those kinds of programs.
@@MeganReneeToday Thank you for replying it helped to clairify a few things. Although I have one more question for you 😂 would an English Major combine everything from creative writing linguistics literature and all of those classes? Since it isn’t specific?
No problem! It would depend on the program and the school. My school doesn't have an option of just an english major with no specified track, so I don't know what that would look like. If I had to assume, I would think that if a school offered an english degree with no specificity on track that it would focus more on literature, but I have no idea if that's actually accurate. If you have any schools in mind, I would go to the website and look into the degree requirements, that should clarify what kind of focus the degree has!
Hey, Hoda! Thank you for watching! While I don't have personal experience working on an english major with english as my second language, I assume it adds difficulty to the major. I would recommend looking up some possible assignments for practice or even just reading and analyzing some works in english. That way you will be able to see how hard it will be for you.
Some people may say otherwise, but I don't think you need to have a broad vocabulary to become an english major. You'll learn more as you complete the major, but honestly I think more than having a broad vocabulary, it's more important to learn how to use your vocabulary to effectively communicate your ideas. Thank you for watching!
That's a good point! In order to understand pieces of literature, it's important taht we also study the time period that a piece or a writer is a product of. One of the things that we study to better understand a piece of literature and writers is the political environment they were a part of! Thanks for watching!
Something else I feel like some people should know about the English major is that participation and discussion is literally a part of your grade....you have to get comfortable speaking up even when others aren’t...I remember being in a class where I was one of the 3 or 4 main people speaking
That is SUCH a great point! English majors definitely should be comfortable talking in a group setting. I'll make sure to discuss this aspect of the major in a future video! Thank you for watching and commenting!
Thank you!! I got comfortable during my first AP English class in high school and I’m very happy about it!
I graduated with an English major 😄
I’ll be graduating with my English degree in May and it’s hands down been the best, most difficult and stressful thing I’ve ever done . I don’t regret the sleepless nights and the pages and pages and pages of writing , revising , editing until I can no longer think clearly . This major has improved my life in so many ways. I communicate better, I understand my world better, I empathize with others better, and what I love most about it, is that by studying and analyzing literature you learn so much about the world around you. English majors almost always study a text from a historical perspective and are asked to find a connection and relevance to our modern world. It’s an exercise that is so undervalued in this technological era where math and science dominate. Without the humanities, we lose our humanity. That’s what I’ve come to learn. So anyone who says English degrees aren’t valuable most likely has no idea what it’s about and I challenge them to find out and then think about how the world would be without literature .
Do all colleges have English majors?
@@PokeXD yes mostly all.
i have wrote and felt the exact same thing the other day on my journal, im very happy to realize that some people do know how undervalued literature is
OMG! Love this. I was skeptical because a lot of people tell me choosing this degree is not worth it, but now I already made my mind. Thank you!
I’m subscribing for this essay.
Another thing: Being an English major IS NOT easy. A lot of people in the same major are competitive, and there’s most likely gonna be people so much better than you in writing/communication. It’s still an art-like subject. If you were good in English in high school, forget that. You’re entering a realm of Holy-Jesus-Sickening-Christ, so don’t expect to think you’re going to be top notch in your classes because you can write well...it’s different....
Yes! This is such a good addition! I think that there are a good portion of people who choose an english major because they think it will be easy and it only adds to the idea that you can't get a job with an english degree because people who just try to get by and make it easy don't learn all of the skills that an english major teaches. Even for people who enjoy it, there can definitely be a shock as they realize the demands of an english major and the talent and intelligence of your peers. It's wonderful because it makes you push yourself and learn more, but it can definitely be difficult to adjust to when you're not expecting it. Thank you for watching!
I want to be an English Prof. and also a writer. English is my ace subject. English is more than a subject to me tbh, it's my dream, it's my passion. I am an Indian who is obsessed with English. It's a world of letters, sentences, paragraphs and everything else. The most beautiful world I can ever describe. It's a passion, it's a reason to live, a reason to wake up daily and a reason to read. English is my everything, I know it, I feel it and I don't have words to describe how badly I am in love with every aspect of this language
What a beautiful description! It sounds like you are going to be a wonderful professor and writer! Thank you for watching!
@@MeganReneeToday Omg thank you so much! and ofc love your channel!
Thank you! Let me know if there are any videos you'd like to see on my channel!
This description alone tells me you're a really good writer. I hope you're able to reach your goals!
same here!! i hate when people talk negatively about the english major because it gives me--a depressed nihilistic--a reason to live, and that’s worth more than anything. i cried happy tears signing up for next semester courses because i’m so happy i get to study this stuff
im going to be a creative writing major. ive been writing since i was eight and all of my teachers tell me not to give it up because they say im going to do great things. i hope their right. :))
I'm sure they're right! One of the best gifts of an english degree is the other amazing writers you'll meet and learn from- both as your professors and your peers! Good luck, I'm sure you'll love it!
they're* slightly ironic haha
@@Stella-mf8es fr 😂
I recently graduated with a BA in English, and it was absolutely worth it. However, I would strongly encourage any students who are English majors/considering English as a degree path to go one step further to make it a beneficial experience. Get involved in campus organizations where you can use your writing and communication skills (lit journal, newspaper, etc.) and get an internship (or a few). For English majors (even more than for some other majors, I would argue), it is important to explore career paths and figure out what you like doing because there are so many options available. Additionally, the skills you gain through putting yourself out there and trying new things are quite important when it comes to job-seeking. Yes, the classes themselves give you the foundation you need to succeed, but it is up to you to take advantage of the resources you are given. Don't be scared to try new things (you are capable of more than you ever dreamed!) and be prepared to invest extra time into extracurricular activities/work opportunities.
I'm 17 and I want to major in English. I like all fiction though so I'm a bit worried because I get easily bored with nonfiction and I don't want to be bored if I have to read nonfiction for an assignment
Hey, Danielle, thank you for watching! I totally understand the aversion to nonfiction (I was probably saying the exact same thing in high school!) It turns out that nonfiction is super important for english majors! The main kind of nonfiction that I've been exposed to in my classes is academic sources. Mainly these are secondary sources that discuss things relevant to something in class. I know it sounds pretty boring, but they are really helpful for developing a deeper understanding of a reading or concept. I appreciate them so much more in college than I did in high school!
Omg.. Danielle... I am a 17 yr old literature aspirant tooo😃
@@aayshasafare1959 same!
And I finally decided to go for it!
@@Unknown-fr4yy yes... Keep going ☺
I’m (almost) 17 and I want to major in English too! I love fiction but nonfiction is okay too!
the amount of books in the back intimidated me.... ive never ever been a reader but love writing.. do u recommend i go for it?
Mikayla Daaboul you need to be a reader first before you can become a writer
Hey, Mikayla! Please don't be intimidated by the books! I LOVE to read and i definitely haven't gotten to all of them! I definitely think that reading is important for any writer and if you plan to study it, you'll at least have to tolerate it in your classes. However, whether you can be a writer without being a big reader all depends on what kind of writing you want to do! i think reading is nearly essential for creative writers, others' writing helps inform our own, but if you want to do something like copy writing, journalism, or marketing? Reading literature really isn't such a huge emphasis and there's no reason to put unnecessary stress and pressure on yourself! If your passionate about writing, I absolutely think you should give it a shot, the worst that can happen is you change paths!
@@MeganReneeToday hey Megan what about Somone who just wants to take a leap into it as something new , I'm going back to school at 28 to major in english , I'm not and avid reader though now but I'm willing to try
I think being willing to ty is a huge part of it! And it is so incredible and impressive to be going back to school, kudos to you! If you want to start reading more, think about the kind of movies and TV shows you like to watch, then look for books that have similar themes, characters, or genres! The books you read don't have to be classics or a thousand pages long to be valuable!
@@MeganReneeToday thank you Megan your an amazing human being 👌
So very informative Megan. It’s really valuable for interested students to hear the pros and cons. I love you passion and I loved you what you had to say about racism in your comments.
Thank you for watching! I'm glad you found what I had to say helpful!
I love writing and I want my career to be intertwined with writing. Originally, I was a journalism major but I think I’m going to change my major to English. What do you think? Also, I love how passionate you sound about English and I love it!
I definitely think you should do an English major if you're passionate about it! Thank you so much, I'm so happy that you enjoyed this video!
An English major is cool!
Same here. I am not really sure if I should do a English major but i want my job to be something related with writings.
This is exactly what I needed to hear. Worded perfectly. Thank you.
I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks for watching, Ryan!
I’m 19 and I’m starting to think about it, I really love reading your message on everyone’s comment. You give good advice and I’m definitely leaning more towards doing it
Thank you so much! I'm so glad my content is helping with your decision!!
I found this video recently after deciding to drop out of a masters in counseling program to pursue an English degree. I’ve been so depressed recently which was shocking after i was so excited to earn my bachelors in counseling, but what i learned was that I really just enjoyed learning about the different concepts and learning about people. But literature, poetry, and writing has always been my passion and always something i come back to. My goal is to be a Literature professor after working my way up. Thank you so much for outlining this!
im 24 and haven’t been in school for a few years. i’m going back in january and i’m considering english major. super excited but nervous!! ive always loved reading and writing.
How exciting!!! I really, really loved doing my English major, good luck!!💕
Thank you for this video!!! I’m a high school junior right now (class of 2022) and I’m heavily considering majoring in English! I took AP English this year and it was amazing!! It filled a part of me that I didn’t know existed. I got As and I’ve always lovedddd literature so I’m super excited to hopefully major in English!
I am graduating with my A.A. degree in the spring and am considering transferring to a BA English program. I want to be a teacher and I have always loved reading and writing. It is so stressful but the most enjoyable and rewarding at the same time. Thank you so much for this video!
One question for you-- what are some of the content areas you learn besides essays? Whenever I think of "English Major" all I can picture are essays but I am sure there has to be more. Lol. I hope this makes sense.
Congratulations on getting your AA! If you want to be a teacher and love to read and write, I think an English major would be great!!
There are definitely A LOT of essays I must have written tens of thousands of words over the four years (if not more), but surprisingly I find that I miss having a space like that for analysis. But, of course there are other things as an English major. Lots of readings and even some looks into history and politics to understand the factors and context that play into a piece. There’s also a lot of discussions so you can interact with other students and their analyses, which can be really interesting. Every professor has their own preferences for teaching and while many stick to essays as the primary framework for their classes, some might prefer oral presentations, Socratic seminars, or even group projects. One of my finals (though not for an English major class) was actually an “unessay” where we could use basically whatever form was most appealing to us to portray a topic we had discussed in the course!
@@MeganReneeToday wow, thank you so much for the kind words and your imput! I really appreciate it.
You are saying everything I ever thought of. much love💜
I know it's an old video but incase that somebody happens to stumble upon this comment, I want say that, even though presentations and discussions are a major part of an English degree, do not let it scare you away from trying. It might seem scary at first but you will get used to it eventually and hearing other people value your input and helping them see things in a new light (and vice versa) feels really validating. If an anxiety ridden ass like me can do it, everyone can. Also don't worry too much about reading papers and other nonfiction stuff. If you genuinely love literature and are the kind of person who likes to overanalyse everything you'll fit right in.
I wanted to be a journalism major, but after really digging deep and barely finding any colleges that I wanted to go to offering it I've chosen English. I feel like I'll be super happy with it and this video really has me excited.
Thank you so much for watching! An english major is a great degree for someone who wants to go into journalism! You can also pair it with a minor or double major that can help you with a journalism career! I'm so happy that my video made you excited about choosing an english major!!
I'm doing a grammar game and was wondering about taking a few English classes to help me with the content. Now I want to add some literary texts in the game :D
That sounds so fun! I think taking a few English classes would definitely be helpful! Good luck!!
Hi I'm a student from English major from this year 2021 and though English is not my first language I really love to read. And as different countries have different ways of educating but I just hope can also get idea of what others curriculum were. I have watched all your English major topic videos and I hope you can make video content about what what you read in the first year... I really appreciate your effort that helps us(students) to stay motivated.
That's a great idea Jyoti! I'm planning a video going over all of the classes I've taken in my english major, but I'll definitely see if I can pull together the books I read my freshman year! Thanks for watching!
Okay so I guess iam the only 8th grader in the comments really excited to go to college kinda to be a major in English I love writing and making stories can't waitttt and I love to read thxs for the video 💞💞💞💞
When I was in middle and high school I couldn't wait to get to college and start taking the classes I was so passionate about also! Thank you so much for watching!
Another hidden English major skill is wooing women. Love messages carefully crafted works wonders. My girlfriend is amazing and other than my English skills I'm kinda lackluster.
Being an english major can definitely also help with casual communication too! Haha! Thank you for watching!
I just liked your videos! I am studying English lang & lit and when im confused im looking for this kind of videos, thanks & hope you'll get so much more subscribers :)
Thank you so much, Habibe! I'm so glad that my videos are helpful for you! Please let me know if there are any topics you'd like me to cover!
Im thinking about majoring in English because i really like it and i love reading novels and watching english stuff but im not really into being a teacher and everyone is telling me that its what i'll probably end up doing so that made me really nervous and i still dk what i wanna do for living but i'm scared that there aren't enough opportunities work wise especially that i have an opportunity to major in computer science but i love english
Being a teacher is only one of the options with an english degree! I did a video about jobs you can get with an english major ( ruclips.net/video/T9YvpTPafuU/видео.html ) and there are even more than I mentioned here! One thing I love about an english major is its versatility! A lot fo industries need good writers and effective communicators and there are so many diverse options that you can try different things and see what you like! You can always double major in english and computer science or minor in one and major in the other if you enjoy both!
I'm majoring in english in college, I'm excited, thanks for this!
I'm so happy you liked it!! Good luck with your degree!
I know a wealth management advisor whose undergraduate degree is in English and has an MBA in finance. He says he would do it again since communication skills are critical to success in financial services.
Thank you for sharing this, Gary! I really appreciate hearing this and I hope lots of viewers see your comment too! It's really nice to hear how an english major can be helpful in the finance world!
This was super inspiring Megan❤️👏❤️
Thank you!!
Hi so I I’m going into my last year in sixth form(from the uk) after the summer and I want to do an English at uni but I don’t feel like the best writer and I’m not the top of my class but I love reading and the analysing of text but I don’t know if that’s enough to get me through a whole degree of English. Reading these comment and seeing people talking about how they love writing whilst I’m not the best makes me feel like I don’t have a chance but I’m definitely always trying to improve... I just don’t know if I’m doing the right thing and every time I tell some I’m thinking of doing English they think I wan for be a teacher which is kind of getting on my nerves because to be very honest I have know idea what I want to do but I feel like this is right but I don’t know😔
Hey, great video! I was wondering when you take an English 101 class, is it geared more towards writing/grammar rules or is it more literature? If it gears towards both options, then which one do you see more often?
Hey, Abdul! Thanks for watching! In my experience, most colleges include two english classes in their General Education Program that all students have to take. The names and numbers change depending on the school, but usually one is more research based while the other focuses more on literature. Of course, with an english major there are many more classes that people will take and the track that somebody takes will determine if their classes are more focused on literature, grammar, research, or something else! I hope this helps!
I really like analyzing writing I’ve been getting A’s in my basic English classes since junior year (sophomore in college). I find it so much easier to read as a class (whenever I read at home I fall asleep 😬) I really like the idea of being a writer (I find it so much better) should I make English my major? My number one fear is reading an entire book a day and not being able to keep up.
Hey, Terell! Thanks for watching! Being an English major definitely requires a lot of at home reading, so I would recommend starting with taking a few english classes and seeing what you think before declaring a major. I would also try working on strategies to help you with at home reading assignments! One thing you can also do is start slow and small and build up your reading. It doesn't matter if you start with Cat in the Hat, just read a little every day and start completing larger books and you'll build on the skill. It can be really hard with the expectation of reading entire long, old books, but if you start somewhere more manageable, then you may even find that you enjoy it! Good luck!
@@MeganReneeToday thanks for the advice. I’ll start building my reading habits now.
Hey, I was looking through videos on English majors and just came across yours and loved it! I’m currently in grade 12 and I’m really confused about what I want to take in university. I really enjoyed English and learning about different perspectives, but I’m not so sure if I “fit” into the English side. And to add to that, I’m a really shy person so I was wondering if that would impact how I would do in English? I know that discussions will probably be the main part in an English major but do you think that taking an English major might develop my “confidence”? And this was an amazing video btw💕
Hey, Jasleen, thank you for watching! I'm so glad you like my video! If you're feeling unsure I would recommend looking into different majors and what is expected of students in each of them. Don't worry there's no one way to be an english major, it's all about if you love it. It's okay to be shy as an english major. Discussions, both in person and online, are a part of being an english major, but that's not all of it. It also helps to be discussing with other people who enjoy literature, which can help with confidence! If you like learning about different perspectives maybe an anthropology or sociology major or minor would be worth looking into? Good luck!
@@MeganReneeToday Okay, thank you so much for the advice! I really appreciate it❤️
I been thinking about majoring in English cause I write poetry, now I'm interested in learning about fiction and nonfiction to write as a career or expand my knowledge of literature and nonfiction (philosophy, history, or journalism). Thanks for giving good information ☺️👍
I'm so glad my video was helpful! Good luck!!
@@MeganReneeToday thank you ☺️
Hello! I'm currently taking up BS Nursing and apparently, it wasn't what I am passionate about than I thought it was. Then I found this video talking about taking up English major and such. I'm actually a huge fan of international shows or movies, and I liked writing in English because it helps me expressed my emotions and feelings properly. Quick question. What advice can you give to a Nursing student like me, which is currently at 2nd year, but then, suddenly had an interest in pursuing English major? Thank you for the reply and have a wonderful day ahead!
Hey, Michael, thanks for watching! If you are considering a significant major change like this, I would recommend with starting by taking a few english classes to see if it's what you want to major in! I'm so glad you enjoyed this video!
I'm not an English major. Currently I am taking English 201/Honors Advanced composition. I started off really strong but for some reason my anxiety and avoidance coping put me in a really big hole which furthers my avoidance. I don't know why this happened. I was a great student in my English 101 class and it inspired me to take the honors class but now I feel like I lost myself. I'm here seeking some wisdom from people who are English majors. Maybe I'm just typing my feelings down but I just want to be the great writer that I thought I was. It's taking an enormous amount of effort to deflect the self-defeating thoughts and negativity. I just feel really alone too. Remote/Online learning puts a huge disconnect from me and the classroom. This could be a reason I avoid but I don't want to get into excuses. I do miss going to class and meeting and seeing everyone and I found peace and comfort in the library. I can tell you are passion about the English major and I'm intrigued that you are taking creative writing. I think that is something I'll like because I am tired of academic composition papers that argue or analyze. Thank you for you video, it meant a lot to me.
Hi..! Here I am incredibly interested in English and also like... based on job opportunities, I'm now taking this path. Although idk what exactly I can be in future, I trust my decision and moving ahead....
The only fear is that English is not my mother tongue, so obviously I'm not a hotshot .......anyway tq, video helps a lot ...and yeah! even the comments below 😇
Thank you so much for watching, Swathi! I'm glad you liked this video! I'm sure it will take some more work to get used to the english classes with it not being your mother tongue, but I'm sure practice will make it easier and easier! Good luck! Let me know if there are any other videos you'd like to see on my channel!
I'll graduate in two months from high school and i really want to decide what to do.
I'm in LOVE WITH ENGLISH LIT, i love reading, writing and listening to English in general ( I'm from Egypt ).
I'm just worried about what i'm gonna do afterwards ( becoming a teacher is a nightmare ), i've always wanted to be a journalist/novelist... So i don't know if going into English will also help me to get a job in journalism or what especially that i'm in a non English country... I'm afraid that people who graduated with a journalism major will take all the jobs, and i won't get a chance to be anything..
You have any advice for me ??
I'm scared to major in english even though I want to be a english home teacher my grammar and spelling is very bad and I have the worst grammar and spelling in my whole AP class I think maybe I'm not good enough since people who Excell it ela think the major is hard so how about me when I can't even do basic grammar right
Omg, is that TOA in the background?
Yep!
Not to mention you have to read and understand dense literature and essays. Reading Jacques Derrida and Pierre Macherey was torture.
That's a great point! There are definitely so many readings and sometimes the readings are SUPER hard to understand. Thanks for watching, Anthony!
I just received my associates degree and I am planning on becoming an English Teacher, as much I can read and write a lot of pages, I am not sure if I am really wanting to this or not?
Very Good...
Thanks
What if I didn’t take any AP English classes in HS. How will it affect getting into good English program?
Hey, Rohan! Thank you for watching! I actually only took one AP class my entire time in high school and, while I enjoyed the class, it is definitely not a necessity for college. There's a push for people to take lots of AP and AICE classes in high school, but a lot of that is rooted in the money that schools get for every student that takes the classes. I'll work on a video talking more about this subject! Great question!
Thank you for this video! Also, I'm wondering where you got your glasses? They're so cute!
Thank you for watching! My glasses are from www.eyebuydirect.com/ ! They have sooo many options, they have good price variety, and have sales pretty often!
@@MeganReneeToday Thank you so much!
Time to binge watch your videos😴
Haha 😂 Thank you so much for watching!
i'm 15 right now and i definitely want to take an English major when i go to collage. But the thing is, i really do not have the confidence to speak up or talk to other people besides my family and friends. Any suggestion or tips for me to get out from my comfort zone?
This is totally understandable! I would just start out small, maybe follow some writing or english major accounts so you can start seeing more people who are involved. Maybe even start your own account eventually if you feel comfortable! I know you're still a few years away from college, but maybe see if you know anybody around you now that wants to be an english major or even just likes to read or write and build your confidence talking with them! Thank you so much for watching!
@@MeganReneeToday wow thank you so much! I will def. Try this!
Hey! I want to study literature definitely, but I'm pretty scared of it. Everybody tells be how difficult it is and it kinda makes me chicken away from my dream. How do you keep yourself in the mindset of being able to do everything? Your answer could really help me. (Also it's worth to mention I'm not English but Hungarian, so if my English is not on point, please forgive me. I'll study hungarian lierature)
Hey, Hédi! I think the most important part of being able to keep up with an english major is loving it. I love reading, and writing, and learning more about the craft, and the different things I get to do and learn as an english major which makes it a lot easier to keep up with the demands of the major. It's definitely a lot of work, but if you enjoy the work it makes it better. If you have a specific career in mind, it can also help to think of how this major can help you get to that point. Thank you so much for watching I hope this helps!
Me, an electrical engineering major: very interesting
Haha, I totally get it! Thank you for watching, Jessie!
Good grief you are gorgeous!!..I'm sorry what was the question? Oh..I mean topic? I'm completely flustered lol
Im going to teach english, my lsicsens to teach english , DOES IT EVEN PAY GOOD LIKE IF I NEED TO WORK PART TIME ILL STILL MAKE A ENOUGH? I HAVE CANCER AND MAY NEED PART TIME
I am an avid reader though but don't have an ability of writing
Kinda confused should i take this major ...
That's tricky because writing is definitely a major part of this major, but it may depend on what your expecting. With a literature track, writing is mostly academic with a rare creative writing assignment. if you're concerned about the writing aspect of the major, I would recommend taking a few english classes before you make it your official major. That way, you'll know if it's what you're looking for!
I’m about to become a senior in high-school and since 1st grade, I’ve always wanted to be a author. So I want to go for a creative writing degree, but I don’t know what college to go for. I live in Florida and I’ve been making lists for colleges since 8th grade and I can’t narrow it down. Any advice on how I can reach my dream job?
The first thing to know about being a writer is that there is no one way to get there. My best advice would be to be open to trying anything that works for you, if you pigeonhole yourself into thinking it can only happen if you send 10 cold queries a day or by entering competitions or by going to x school, you could very easily miss the best way in for you. As far as narrowing down schools, look at each of the schools as a whole. The best creative writing program in the world could be the wrong school for you because it's too far from home, or the school itself isn't the right size for you, or any other reason. I would start by looking at all of the schools on my list and decide which ones I really couldn't see myself spending the next four years of my life at. Depending on how many schools are then left on your list make sure that all of these are practical schools for you to go to whether that's financial or otherwise. Once your'e down to a list of schools that you both can and want to go to if your list is still too big for what you'd like, I would go into which programs you're most excited about. Look at how the creative writing/english program is designed at each of the schools and decide which ones are most exciting for you. Good luck!!
Hey Megan!
Just clicked on your video because I have some doubts. As a kid growing up, I loved to read. It was my hobby and pastime. Eventually, I stopped reading on my own in 8th grade since we got books assigned to read (which many I enjoyed). I realized I love to write, but I feel like my vocabulary is not the best and my writing is not great. I am now a freshman in college, and I am still debating about what I want to major in. I want to switch to an English writing major. I feel like it would be dumb though since I haven't read as much anymore and I am probably as good as others. What do you recommend?
Hey Natalie! I also loved reading as a kid, but as I grew up I made less time for it and read more through classes than for leisure now as much as I'm trying to improve that. It's totally okay to not be reading the same amount as you used to as an english major I know plenty who don't get to read as much for leisure as they like or used to. As far as being good enough, english is a very subjective major, good and bad changes with a lot of factors. Sometimes I write something for a class that I really don't like, but one of my peers really does, and the same happens the other way with pieces I really do like. A creative writing major teaches you about the craft, gives you lots of examples, and the rules so you know if and when to follow and break them. If you're feeling a pull towards an english major I absolutely encourage you. If you don't feel ready to jump all the way in to changing your major, you can start by taking a class or two and see what you think! Thank you so much for watching!
I love reading and writing, and choosing an English major I feel is going to be a great choice for me. The only thing I want to know is: "Am I going to have time for a part time job if I choose it?" And is taking freelance writing work during college a good idea?
Hey, Ishmael! Thank you so much for watching! An english major can definitely take up a lot of time, but it all depends on the person whether a part time job makes sense for them. The same with freelance work, it all depends on the person. I would recommend working the summer before you head to college and saving up some money, then not working your first semester so you can see what kind of time you'll have!
I am an author and my whole life dream is to study English Literature major and I am saving my money to go to UK even I am 46 years old, hope I could save a lot of money for that goal.
That sounds like a wonderful goal! Good luck💕
Thank you!
I dont know creative writing but I love the english subject.. do they teach you how to write?
Yes! Part of the creative writing track at my school requires taking two semesters of two different writing workshop classes! I'm taking scriptwriting and fiction writing, but poetry and nonfiction writing are other options. They teach you about the craft, show you other writers and/or their tips for writing, you share your own work and exchange critique with classmates, etc. Of course, because writing is objective, it's different than learning things that have clear definitions that are always the same, but you learn about what has worked, what hasn't, and what you want to be writing. A lot of writers I've seen will say that you have to know the rules f you want to break them, so a lot of writing classes help you understand the rules and then you as a writer get to decide what you want to do with them. I hope this is helpful and thank you for watching!
I am decided on English major w a pre med program! I like English.. everyone tells me to choose a major you find interesting.
That sounds super interesting! I hope you love it! Thanks for watching, Lucy!
If you think STEM is all about matching the answer in the back of the book, then it shows that you haven't experience stem outside of high school. Often times, we're taught the bare minimal and it is up to us to come up with the logical leaps to get to the answer in the back of the book, or an answer that matches lab result. Not everyone would come up with the same steps and it's ok so long as it is logical. And there were times you have to think outside the box on finals while using the framework you've been learning throughout the course to get an acceptable answer.
I wasn't a lit major. My high school English teacher didn't show me that they can communicate effectively. Not when they were discussing what the authors did not write and called it literary analysis. I was convinced that i wanted to have as little to do with liberal arts courses after that experience.
My history teacher did suggest that I try some liberal arts classes, and was sure I would find something I'd enjoy. I did find it when i took my philosophy class. The readings and lectures were logical, succinct, and concise. I enjoyed it so much I added philosophy to my engineering degree
It's been a long time since I filmed this video so I'm not sure what exactly you're reacting to in this video, but I would agree that my knowledge and experience with STEM is limited. I've taken very few classes in the field since high school and it's not my personal focus. I also don't think that there's anything wrong with the fact that STEM subjects offer a more straightforward style than english and literature do, it's just different. It's important for people to understand that difference before going into an english degree so they can be prepared and decide if that is something that they are interested in.
I would also agree that STEM subjects include thinking outside the box and finding different ways to come to the same conclusion, but not in the same way that english majors do. Nothing better or worse about either, but this video was made to help prepare those interested in the idea of becoming an english major so they could have a more accurate understanding of what that looks like. In an english or literature class, students don't have to come to the same conclusions or in the same way, we are asked to analyze readings to find different ways that they can be interpreted. The most important thing is that students are able to support their analysis with evidence in the reading.
My only problem with STEM is when people assume that STEM is better than another path or major or that it is the only worthwhile choice. I think STEM is very important and is the right choice for many people, but I hate to see people told they shouldn't major in something that they're passionate about because it isn't in the field of STEM. Other than that, I'm very happy for anyone that is passionate about STEM and chooses to pursue a career in the field.
There's nothing wrong with english and literature not being what you enjoy, but I would hope you wouldn't accuse me of assuming I know everything about STEM based on high school level experience and then correct me on being an english major based on your high school level experience. Just because analysis reveals what isn't written explicitly on the page, doesn't mean that it isn't there. Literature incorporates a very different kind of analysis, which is something I love about it and want to share and celebrate with other who are interested. Totally fine if that's not you, you can skip my english major videos or my entire channel in general!
I'm glad you were able to find something you enjoyed in your philosophy class, it's certainly an interesting topic!
@@MeganReneeToday
First of all, I'd like to sincerely thank you for this elaborate response. Here are 2 points I was responding to.
Most of us STEM majors have heard of the stereotype about us being trained as robots learning about procedures to find the answer in the back of the book and it gets old. Some people treat the entire program as such because they are just there to get a degree and get some marketable skill(more on that later). But as the saying goes, it's about the journey, not the destination. Many of us study STEM because we enjoy learning how logical deductions of previous knowledge lead to new ones. If you just care for finding the final answer without understanding the process, you'd either suffer the entire way or get kicked out early on. I understand your point about STEM majors only concerning ourselves with hard evidence that isn't open to much interpretation, but we have to develop this habit because it sometimes is a matter of life and death, especially in an engineering or medical setting. And speaking of interpretation, we can have many different models(mathematical methods) to describe the same phenomenon so long as the model accurately describe what we observe.
The second point that I was reacting to was the assertion that literature develops communication skills. I certainly did not experience that from my high school ap lit teacher. She just instructed us to read between the lines, look for what the passages symbolized, and gave us her interpretation as her examples without holding our hands to come up with our own interpretation when we struggled. Communication is about effectively delivering ideas and I, as the audience, did no receive them. She may have a way to communicate to a portion of the class, but telling everyone that you would see it if you think about it without telling us what it is way too subjective for me.
I do agree with far too many people going into STEM treating college as a vocational school. I wanted to major in mechanical engineering because I like machines. Along the way, I found the math that describe machineries fascinating. In college, I was accepted into a BA/BS program retroactively and I decided on philosophy for my BA degree just after one class. To this day, I find myself reading those textbooks once I'm a blue moon To my dad's dismay, I did not choose economics, even though that would have been the easy way, and engineering because I wasn't going to spend 5 years only learning how to solve math problem.
While I may never find literary analysis appealing, I do respect the effort that people put into it to obtain a degree in literature and the skills that literature majors have that I don't. I'm in IT where I spend half the day reading documentation, but put me on the sales team and I would not know what the customers are hinting at. Having been through that BA/BS program, I can appreciate the difficulty in both subjects. And if my children wants to study literature in college, I hope I can understand their passion toward the subject.
I'm considering an English Major because of a Master in translation due to the job opportunities (instead of directly getting into translation), but I'm not a reader at all and I'm scared of the huge impact it could have on me to go from 0 reading to constant full reading for years. Is it that bad? Does it get too heavy? How much do you read in a week?
really helpful:) i mean i’m only 16 i’m probably going to change my mind about what i want to do like very quickly but this seems so fun. i’m an okay reader, i do have a case adhd which does interfere with that but nonetheless i do enjoy reading and writing (writing especially is really therapeutic). I’ve always been intimidated by the idea of going into this. Also i do write too much (sorry for the long comment) lol but what i wanted to say was thank you for the video.
Hey, Bryan! Firstly, my apologies if any of this sounds a little wonky, I'm about to go to sleep but I saw your comment and wanted to reply before I do! I also have ADHD! It can make reading difficult, but I've found some ways to make it easier so i can enjoy it more (maybe I'll do a video on this!). I also have a video about my favorite fidget toys (ruclips.net/video/z7WyTmP2SC0/видео.html) and I'm planning to do more! I totally get how therapeutic writing is! Something physical to do with my hands AND it gives me something to do with my daydreams? Sign me up! There's nothing wrong with changing your mind, it's actually something I like about an english major- it's broadness allows for opportunities with a lot of different things so you can jump around and see what you like! Don't worry about a long comment, mine is too! Thank you so much for watching, I'm glad you enjoyed!
Megan Renee Oh that’s super cool to know that! A video on that would be totally amazing because I haven’t really seen much people bring that up!
Awesome! I'll add it to my list of future videos!
I am attending the University of Houston this upcoming Fall semester as an English major with an applied linguistics concentration. Does this mean I am going to look more at the structure of the English language instead of the literature? Have a good day. Thanks for the information!
I honestly couldn't tell you with complete certainty what the degree program at the University of Houston will look like, but based on my experience I can guess what it might look like. My assumption would be that an English major with an applied linguistics concentration would have more general english classes as the base(my creative writing track included many literature class requirements with only a handful of strictly creative writing courses) with the higher level classes being more focused on linguistics, which would be focused on language. The program at your school might be different so I can't say for sure, but if it doesn't offer the literature classes you're looking for, perhaps you could minor in literature or take some literature classes separately if you have space throughout your degree. Thanks for watching, Leonardo!
is the english program really competitive? What if my average is the bare minimum? But my english marks are always at the mid 80s or higher never less than mid 80s
It all depends on the program. Some programs are more competitive than others, but it's definitely a good thing that your english scores are the place you do better! If there are any specific programs you're interested in, I would look into their acceptance rates and how they make acceptance decisions, maybe even reach out to alumni. Luckily most programs look at more than just grades when making decisions, so if you're scores aren't quite where you want them, there are other things you can focus on to make your application stand out. As an english major, your essay will be really important for showing the program taht you can write well, so put a lot of focus into that. Good luck!
@@MeganReneeToday do u remember what ur average was? When u got in?
I had mostly A's and B's in my classes, and I'd done above average on my SAT, and I did fairly well on my ACT, especially the reading section, where I got a perfect score. I also did well on my AP Literature exam. I started at a different school my freshman year, though, and I've done much better in college, so i had better grades when I applied to UCF. I hope that helps!
Iwish watched this video before 4 years ago
My parents are not allowing to major in English pls help
That must be really difficult! Hopefully your parents are coming from a place of love and concern. Unfortunately, there is a misconception that art and humanities degrees don't lead to strong careers. I would recommend looking at some careers that you would be interested in and do some research into them and show your parents what you find. I posted a video listing a few job options for english majors if you're interested! ( ruclips.net/video/T9YvpTPafuU/видео.html&lc=UgxASoQLFE6DS266bw54AaABAg )
Hey, it might be too late for you to reply, but I’m good at speaking when in a group of at least three, I think that it helps me when there is more than one person to respond or critique, but I’m HORRIBLE at one to one speaking! It always feels so awkward for me to work with a partner like that. I do really like writing and reading, but I’m really scared that my incapability to speak one to one will affect my course. Should I still go for English?
Hey, thanks for watching! In my experience, I actually think group discussions tend tp be more common, either in an online format, or in a live discussion. Of course, every teacher has their own style of formatting their classes, but I haven't had too many one on one partner assignments in my english classes. I think part of the reason for that is that an analysis of literature benefits from multiple backgrounds and perspectives so a larger discussion is usually helpful. If you're still feeling nervous, you can always wait to declare your major until you take one or two english classes to see how comfortable you feel in that setting. I hope this helps!
English major interesting to study and fun to learn
Can I ask something? What if I'm not that good in english but I want to be an english teacher because I want to learn it . Do you think I will pass it?
New subscriber here I hope I will learn more about english major
If you're nervous about being able to do well as an english major, I would recommend starting with a few classes while you're doing your general education classes. Another thing you can do is start reading and analyzing literature and poetry now to practice. You can also see if you can find practice assignments online to practice beforehand. Good luck and thank you for watching, Jurielyn!
What do you think of getting an Associate's degree in English literature?
I think it all depends on the person and the situation! I don't think there's anything wrong with getting an Associates in English Literature if that's what makes sense for you!
Also, are you on Instagram? Wanna follow you, i like your vibes 💖💖💖💖
Hello thank you for such an informative video it means a lot for the people like me who are lost between two different worlds of science and literature but to be honest my heart longs for literature and this scared me before cause you know how people view it so i had my doubts haha(I honestly dont care anymore though) and I totally agree with u i love it’s ambiguity and how there’s several analysis according to everyone’s perspective! to cut it short what are the most important skills that i should have before enrolling in such classes and how can I practice them because im so clueless
(I read & write poetry from time to time i have a huge interest in discussing novels and analyzing characters)
If ure reading this Help a girl out
Thank you so much for watching, Rachelle, I'm so happy my video is helpful for you! That is such a great question and I will be sure to film a video on it! In the meantime, I just filmed a video about discussion posts that I think will be helpful for your question and it will be up on Wednesday! To quickly answer your question, I think the most important thing to go into a literature class with is passion. If you care about what you're reading and analyzing it will really show through! Good luck!
@@MeganReneeToday what a thoughtful response 💓💓and i will definitely make sure to watch your upcoming video girllll!! I totally agree with you that you should be passionate about it and this doesn’t concern me much but what does concern me are the English lit graduates who say that their own degree is useless and claim that science has more opportunities
They say that “writing “ is just a phase and advise people to not fall for it
I even read something sick which was “no one actually cares about ur analysis to this novel (for example)there are people before you who probably did it better “
What are your thoughts about it?
Awesome! It's about discussion posts which might not seem to have so much to do with your question, but I broke down the process of analyzing a piece in the video, which might be helpful! I totally get what your saying about even English majors who say our major isn't getting them jobs. What I think a lot of that boils down to is internalized ideas about the arts. I'll go into more detail in my video, but essentially, our society has so undervalued and under appreciated the arts (despite how prominent a role it plays in all of our lives artist or otherwise) that even an artist can fall into the same trap. If we believe that all we're doing is wasting our time and playing games while all of the STEM majors are doing the "real work" we won't recognize or utilize the talents and skills that we learn in our studies.
Sure, maybe on a first glance analyzing a poem might not feel immediately valuable, but what I've learned through the practice of analysis is how to analyze the world around me. Recognizing that an interruption in rhyme scheme creates an uncomfortable feeling for a reader and can emphasize a theme on an uncomfortable topic like death, then I can use those same skills of analysis to recognize the importance of visual themes for a company and if a change in the visual theme is going to occur in a social media post or even an internal document, I can both understand and effectively communicate the circumstances in which that should be done and the weight of doing so. Companies are built and sustained on their brand and visual identity so this is incredibly valuable for a business. That is only one example, but my point is that when we constantly tell artists that their work and effort is meaningless and frivolous and they are selfishly taking time that only benefits themselves, those artists don't realize the skills that they have learned and won't put them on their resume or utilize them in the workforce.
As far as the writing is a phase thing, for some people it may be. If you're not planning a career in writing it may be simply a hobby that follows you through life, or for even a short period of your life. In no way does that make the writing less valuable. Doing things that make you happy, even if they aren't an actively making you money are still valuable and worth doing. Some people have a day job to fund hobbies that they're passionate about. There is nothing wrong with doing something that makes you happy even if it doesn't last forever, explore that ad explore what it brings you. You will still learn skills if you look for them and apply them to the jobs you take. For example, recently I have seen people saying that writing fanfiction is a waste of time and a bad thing to do. It stems from ideas that everything we do has to have capitalistic and economic value to be worth doing. However, someone who writes fanfiction is still learning valuable skills. they are learning to create and stick to deadlines, they are learning to deal with an audience and both positive and negative feedback, they are learning how to write original work that my mimic a style of another created work which is incredibly valuable for someone who needs to be able to maintain a company's tone and writing style.
As far as the people not caring about your analysis thing. It's just not true. It's another way for people to devalue the arts. If no one else cares, I care. I care deeply about the different analyses of pieces of works, but I'm truly not the only one. Your professors care so much about reading people's analyses of different woks that they made a career out of it. They get paid to teach people how to analyze and to read their analyses. On top of that, there is not necessarily a better or worse way to analyze something or a better or worse analysis. There are different points to be made, and different ways to see a piece, but as long as you can find textual support for an analysis, then who I am to say what's better? There tends to be a misunderstanding about analysis that it's about finding the right answer. It's not. It's about finding an answer. It's about understand literature in a variety of ways, about seeing everything possible in a piece. Most of the things that I analyze in a poem were probably done completely by accident. A writer may not have intended to use many plosive sounds in a poem about war, or interrupted their rhyme scheme in the last line in a poem about death and grieving, but by acknowledging and addressing the results of those actions, we better understand the poem. It doesn't have to be intentional, which mean that you're not analyzing what the writer was necessarily trying to do, but rather what can be found in what they did anyway.
Anyways, clearly I have a lot of feeling about this, but I'll go into even more when I film. I hope this helps a bit!
@@MeganReneeToday i can’t help but smile at this since it clarified a lot of what I clearly misunderstood because i don’t know anyone who’s a literature graduate/student but my teachers who i donr feel very comfortable with discussing this subject so a huge THANK YOU sending you a lot of love
And i believe that a person who does it just because they think it’s “easy” (which it’s not) are the ones who don’t see the real beauty behind literature and the same people who think science is what we live for (they’re missing out a lot lol)
And again thank you for pointing out everything i asked
At least now i know what to expect and be realistic im very excited that I’ll HOPEFULLY get to study what I actually like !!!
I am so, so glad that my answer clarified things for you! You're absolutely right, there are people who choose an English major because they think it's easy rather than caring about everything available and it can skew the view of the major. Good luck in your studies, let me know if you have any more questions!!
Hi! I hope this is not too late to ask but I'm 18 and I'm going to be in college this year. I'm planning to get Bachelor of Arts in Literature. Is it the same thing as being an English major? Thank you!
Hey, Krysten! Thanks for watching! As far as I know, a Bachelor of Arts in Literature would be the same as an English Literature degree. Good luck!
@@MeganReneeToday Yay thanks so much!!😊
@@MeganReneeToday Yay thanks so much!!😊
I considering becoming an English major w a business minor but I’m not sure what careers I can get into with those two together. Do you know any site or knowledge on that 😅 I was originally going to major in business and minor in English but I love English so much more I just want a logical plan so I have an idea of what I’m doing 😊 great video btw❤️
I actually did a video about 6 jobs you can get with an english degree! It's a huge misconception that English majors can't get any real jobs after they graduate! I also think business is a GREAT pairing with an english major! Thank you so much for watching, I'm so glad you like this video!
I was on the same situation as you! I ended up choosing English as well. :)
thank you so much for the insight. I am a psychology undergraduate major with a minor in criminology. I have always been interested in literature, and was considering doing a post-bacc while I work. It was so helpful to understand that there is no right and wrong, granted their is provided evidence. I also enjoyed the fact that your experience is determined by your dedication. Lastly, I truly enjoyed how you explained, that it is insightful to understand why or why you dont like a particular text. Much love!~
Thanks so much for watching, Chris! I'm so glad you enjoyed!!
What’s the difference between creative writing and English as a major? Are there other major options that are similar to English?
Hey, Naomi, thank you for watching! At my school, creative writing is a track within the english degree. Some school may have a separate english and creative writing degree, so it would depend. Generally, a creative writing degree focuses more on the student writing stories (so poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or script classes) where students are writing the work instead of analyzing it. Students in creative writing classes may still analyze other people's work, but it is done in order to teach them how to be better writers. There are two other tracks that are offered with an english major at my school. Literature and Linguistics. Literature is more reading and analyzing literature and when students write in those classes it is more focused on analyzing readings rather than creating your own. I haven't taken linguistics classes so I don't have very much knowledge, but I assume those classes look more into the structure of language and what makes up language, perhaps even not focused solely on the english language? There are also Writing and Rhetoric degrees and Technical Writing degrees. I honestly couldn't say much about them with authority, I just don't know much about those kinds of programs.
@@MeganReneeToday Thank you for replying it helped to clairify a few things. Although I have one more question for you 😂 would an English Major combine everything from creative writing linguistics literature and all of those classes? Since it isn’t specific?
No problem! It would depend on the program and the school. My school doesn't have an option of just an english major with no specified track, so I don't know what that would look like. If I had to assume, I would think that if a school offered an english degree with no specificity on track that it would focus more on literature, but I have no idea if that's actually accurate. If you have any schools in mind, I would go to the website and look into the degree requirements, that should clarify what kind of focus the degree has!
@@MeganReneeToday Thank you so much love! If I have anymore questions I’ll ask you! In the meantime I hope you have a wonderful day!! ❤️
What if English is not my first language, is it going to be hard?
Hey, Hoda! Thank you for watching! While I don't have personal experience working on an english major with english as my second language, I assume it adds difficulty to the major. I would recommend looking up some possible assignments for practice or even just reading and analyzing some works in english. That way you will be able to see how hard it will be for you.
Good video
Thanks!
Do you need to have a broad vocabulary when going into an English major?
Some people may say otherwise, but I don't think you need to have a broad vocabulary to become an english major. You'll learn more as you complete the major, but honestly I think more than having a broad vocabulary, it's more important to learn how to use your vocabulary to effectively communicate your ideas. Thank you for watching!
Okay. Thank you!!
when your parents stress you so much you're watching these videos in middle school 💀
Haha I totally get it!
How old is too old to start the process of majoring in English?
I don't think it's ever too old!
You forgot to tell that you're gonna be reading a lot of political correctness stuff...
That's a good point! In order to understand pieces of literature, it's important taht we also study the time period that a piece or a writer is a product of. One of the things that we study to better understand a piece of literature and writers is the political environment they were a part of! Thanks for watching!
im here cause i wanna beat a english major youtuber