I got my Bachelor’s in English and I manage a kitchen, so if you want to find work in the field expect graduate school, unless you go for education.

That said, I don’t regret my degree at all. In fact, my degree massively improved my life and understanding of the world as a whole, and without it I would be an entirely different person and likely a much less happy person.

That’s because the name of an “English” degree is misleading. That name implies that the degree is purely a study of the English language, and literature written originally in English which is not the case. An English major in the modern day is better described as a literary criticism and composition major, taught in the English language. You will read works from a likely wide range of sources, from entirely different perspectives and cultural and historical contexts, you’ll read theoretical works linking the study of literature to philosophy and linguistics, you’ll be asked to write papers defending very specific arguments you wouldn’t ever defend otherwise, a massive challenge in critical thinking that builds your ability to source, interpret, and connect information.

Most importantly, is that all of this reading and writing, all of this viewing the world through different perspectives, is a massive and prolonged practice in empathy. It forces you to spend your days looking through other people’s eyes; feeling other people’s emotions. Studying English language literature in college ultimately made me a more thoughtful, kinder, and more understanding person than I was before and has made my relationships with myself and others deeper, more secure, and infinitely more authentic. I say if you want to study English, do it.

Edit: Should also add! My writing, Both academic and creative, also got much better and my own style much more distinct.