10 Things to Keep in Mind When Your Major Gets Disparaged on Social Media

  1. English and creative writing majors get jobs.
  2. Liberal arts majors make greater increases in earning capacity than other majors as they advance in their careers.
  3. Most English and creative writing majors do not end up teaching.
  4. Starting salary is one way to measure the value of a job. It doesn’t measure how much you will like the job, how meaningful you will find the work, or whether the job will move you towards the goals you have.
  5. If a social media site often displays threads about fulfilling gen ed requirements without taking any courses that require writing, reading, or effort, then the frequent users of that site may not be in a good position to evaluate either the value or difficulty of a major that is all reading, writing, and critical thought.
  6. People can be successful after college without being miserable in college.
  7. People can learn things and grow intellectually without being miserable in college.
  8. People who are comfortable with their choices generally don’t need to criticize strangers for making different choices.
  9. If you don’t like math or aren’t any good at it, a career that involves strong quantitative skills will probably bring you neither success nor happiness.
  10. Your English and creative writing classes alone will not get you a job, but that is true of any major. Employers look for evidence of leadership and experience — and your university offers opportunities for all majors to build skills outside the classroom.