Chapters
By pursuing an English major, you develop critical writing and close reading skills while exploring literature’s associations with history, culture, and other areas of study.
Apart from studying some notable works, English majors spend time shaping their voices as well. To complete the degree, students will think of influential and dominant ideas as they assess poems, novels, films, and much more from around the world.
Additionally, you’ll have vast career opportunities with an English major. And if you’re wondering what jobs can you get with an English degree, here are some of the most prominent ones:
- Editorial assistant
- Digital copywriter
- Lexicographer
- Newspaper journalist
- Magazine journalist
- Private English tutor
- School/college/university teacher
- Writer
- Content manager
- Academic librarian
- Ad copywriter
- Education consultant
- PPC specialist
- Media researcher
- Records manager
- Information officer
Indeed, there are many job opportunities with an English degree. However, the important question is: how can one prepare for an English major outside of school? Want to know how? Then read on!
What’s An “English Major?”
A major in English is a degree option, which comes with various opportunities for learners to explore a diverse style of expression.
Having an undergraduate English background is helpful for professional and graduate programs in departments such as business, law, and journalism.
In most cases, majors start their studies in classrooms primarily designed to coach them as writers and readers.
In addition to that, high-level courses of some of the best colleges for English majors will cover critical theory, literary history, and creative writing.
The English major offers ample creative and academic opportunities, providing learners to study leading authors while improving as poets, novelists, or playwrights also if they choose.
How To Know If You Should Be An English Major?
Many students ask how to be an English major. Well, the process is simple: all you’ve got to do is enroll in one of the best English programs in the US.
However, before you jump on the English major bandwagon, you may want to understand how to know if you should be an English major?
If you spend your spare time reading various books and articles, aim to become an author or writer, or value lucid communication, then an English major is the best option for you.
Moreover, if you are in high school and want to pursue an English major, you should consider taking classes pertinent to the degree. There are also several things they can do to prepare for their future career as an English major.
Although English majors must be ready to write and read often, learners shouldn’t reject the degree program if they’re not interested in job opportunities as writers.
Skills such as grammar, spelling, critical thinking, and meeting deadlines can be adopted in several other areas, such as medicine, publishing, and more.
Flexibility in selecting courses also provides room for majors in English to study other subjects and interests.
So, whether you’re a professional student, prospective academic, or aspiring writer, you can find yourself a place in the English department.
Why Major In English?
Here are some of the reasons why you should go for an English major:
A Jack-Of-All-Trades
By reading different authors and a wide range of literature, you’ll gain a more extensive and much better perspective about the world we live in.
Additionally, you’re learning about various subjects at once as well: religion and history, science and politics, business and art, and anything in between.
With a broadened outlook, you’ll have the essential tools you require to contribute your expertise in several fields.
Huge Wanderlust Potential
If you intend to merge your love for traveling with teaching, you should consider going for an English major. It will provide you a way to make an earning while traveling around the world. For example, you can give ESL lessons to prospective students across the globe.
And since it’s among the most coveted foreign languages, you’ll find a job that fits your outstanding English skills easily.
A Way To Graduate School
Most English majors carry on to pursue either a Ph.D. or a Master’s. However, there’s no compulsion to restrict yourself to writing or literature; there are several other grad programs that you can pursue, such as history, business, or the law.
Since an English major helps you learn many essential skills, including critical analysis, you can use them to brainstorm an ad for a marketing project or dissect complicated legal cases.
If that’s not it, you can go for a more conventional route and pursue communication or journalism.
Evolution Of The Media
Whether it’s a vast collection of E-books available to you on your smartphone or a hard copy with creases, it’s evident that variations in tech correlate to shifts in media consumption.
With a major in English, you’ll know the shifts and trends in different media mediums.
Not only this, but you can also navigate through these diverse avenues of creative expression comfortably.
Communication Is One Of The Most In-Demand Degrees
As there’s a sudden surge in mobile and social media app usage, communications are constantly evolving.
Due to this reason alone, most tech companies and businesses are taking the help of English majors in communications. They’re recruiting them for consulting positions to help their company stay on top of these trends.
Key government agencies such as the National Security Agency (NSA) and tech giants such as Google and others are becoming increasingly competitive in their hunt for people with English majors.
They want to capitalize on their written and oral communication abilities to assess the current facets of tech and predict future developments.
Become The Writer You’ve Always Dreamed Of Becoming
Many write, but only a select few are skilled at writing. So whether you are writing business memos (for prominent corporations) or legal briefs (for high-profile court cases)- the writing abilities you learn in your college’s English major program will help you succeed in virtually all careers.
In many instances, you’ll be given several papers every semester with the “capstone paper” in the senior year. This way, when you graduate, you’ll have penned many pages of analysis and prose.
Thus, no matter the job you get, you’ll quickly pick up the jargon and style needed to communicate in the field.
Tips To Prepare For An English Major Outside Of School
Here are some valuable tricks and tips to prepare for an English major after school:
Get Ready To Read A Lot
This may seem obvious; however, one thing you should bear in mind is that you’ll come across a lot of reading material in your English major.
In your major, you’ll be likely to read 6-8 novels in every class. Not only this, but you’ll also have to read supplemental readings, articles, and research notes for your assignments and papers.
The critical thing to remember here is that you’ll be expected to complete all these readings in about a week or two at most, apart from the tasks you’ll get from other classes.
Now, all this isn’t to frighten you but to prepare you for what’s coming. Also, you don’t have to lose hope if reading isn’t your thing, or you tend to lose focus when going through lengthy texts.
So, the key to prep for your English major outside of school in terms of reading is to, firstly, access what every class expects, such as response papers, participation, tests, quizzes, etc.
After that, focus on what will help you obtain the best grades.
For instance, if your English major teacher grades primarily on participation, then ensure you’ve got a few critical quotes or points to make in the class.
It doesn’t matter if you haven’t finished the entire reading, provided you give context along with the stuff you present. This way, you’ll be able to convince them that you have read the entirety of the novel.
Pro tip: if you want to ensure good grades in your English major, work on your spot reading, speed reading, and how to pull out crucial quotes or points.
Hone Your Writing Abilities
If you choose an English major, you’ll have to write insofar as you’ll read. It’s pretty apparent the farther you’ll progress, the more advanced and complex papers you’ll have to encounter.
Thus, it’s imperative to know how to write correctly.
Start working on making your thesis statements perfect since they’re the focal point of any paper and the gateway to failure or success.
Make sure to clearly state what the paper will discuss and why it’s essential to discuss it.
Gathering strong points or quotes is vital; however, it is also crucial to understand how to place evidence and support it.
Additionally, avoid dropping points during a para without any strong explanation. What you should do instead is: always open all body paras with arguments against or for your thesis.
Then, insert evidence or quotes with appropriate in-text citations. Finally, continue to justify why the point and argument are vital in the entire examination of the thesis.
Apart from that, another critical element to a high-quality paper is to connect each para. The ideas must flow smoothly, guiding readers through the documents effortlessly.
Also, use transition words at the end of each paragraph so that readers understand the line of thinking that you are taking.
Often in writing out the arguments, the mind fills the gaps that words can’t. As a result, we know where the paper is heading; however, readers can’t as they’re unable to read our minds – they can read only what’s written in the report.
Have Fun!
It’s one of the most crucial tips for an English major, i.e., have fun with your studies! You’ll be open to a wide variety of materials that you may not have otherwise found in school.
Though college and university are learning institutions and provide a good experience in many ways, still you’ll find abundant resources and helpful ways to prep for your major outside of school, from books to tutoring and more.
If you’re unable to read all the books assigned to you due to other commitments like full-time work or spending time with family, etc., try to skim through or only reading the summaries for all the topics.
This doesn’t mean you should avoid reading it completely. Instead, try finishing your readings whenever you find the time.
Overall, make sure to enjoy reading different materials for your English major, whether your professors provide them or you have come across them on your because there’s no learning without fun!
Take Private English Lessons
The last way to prep for your English major outside of school is private tutoring. They’re one of the best ways you can improve your English skills. Private tutoring is expanding exponentially, and by the end of 2027, it will hit $218B.
And when it comes to private tutoring, in-person or virtual, none can beat Superprof – the best online and in-person tutoring platform in the US and the world. They have some of the best English tutors ready to help you with your English major.
Why wait any longer? Join Superprof private English lessons and improve your English major grades!
The platform that connects tutors and students
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