What Do You Plan to Do with Your Degree?: How English Ruined Me (in the Best Way Possible)

When you tell someone that you’re working toward a Bachelor’s Degree, the line of questioning that follows is fairly predictable: “What’s your major?” and “What do you plan to do with your degree?” are typically at the forefront of the conversation. As many humanities majors will readily admit, the latter question can be both frustrating and daunting in a culture that promotes wealth, fame, and power as the end to which your presumed task is to discern the means. There’s never any shortage of people armed with salary statistics and unemployment rates, ready and eager to disparage a degree in Philosophy or Art History. Although—and perhaps because—these stats are often grossly misrepresented, we can’t necessarily blame our family and friends for their insistence upon the so-called “practical” fields of study. As Pulitzer-Prize-winner and MIT professor Junot Diaz remarks, “We live in a time where everything is monetized. […]These days universities have been deranged by the logic of the cash nexus, by the corporate ethos which seeks to extract profit from everything.” Indeed, when many universities are marketed to look more like degree-mills than institutions of higher education, it’s only logical to ask a student, “What do you plan to ‘do’ with your degree?”

The fact is, I’m one month from graduating with a B.A. in English, and only recently have I been able to answer this question with any degree of certainty. Contrary to what you might think, my lengthy deliberation did not derive from a lack of options. Rather, it was the surprising variety of prospects that left me weighing the pros and cons for several semesters’ time. I transferred to UM-Dearborn from Schoolcraft College in 2011, unsure of what exactly I wanted to “do,” but knowing that I was finally ready to finish what I’d started 5 years earlier. I defaulted to a subject that I knew I would enjoy, trusting that my love of reading and writing would carry me through some of the more demanding semesters that surely lay ahead. It ended up being one of the most challenging, and most rewarding, things I’ve ever done. Even during those late nights and semesters that I thought would never end, I never regretted my decision to pursue an English degree at UM-Dearborn—and believe me, it’s not because being an English major is easy.

There seems to be some general ambiguity amongst the people I talk to about what exactly it is that English majors do in the classroom. Some conjure images from high school literature courses, or envision endless sentence-structure diagrams splayed across a blackboard. Others imagine a glorified book club where we discuss how a novel makes us feel. The reality is that English is an incredibly diverse discipline that uses texts as a vehicle through which to think critically about the world around us. As an English major, I’ve learned that we cannot separate texts from the cultural context in which they are created, and it is therefore incumbent on us to study every aspect of that culture—from politics, to religion, to social structures, to philosophy, to economics—you name it, I’ve probably written an essay on it. This has empowered me with the language of a variety of critical discourses, and now enables me to engage thoughtfully in conversations that fall outside of my particular area of expertise, as well as my immediate comfort zone. Thus, the study of English not only trains students in critical thinking, but also in diversity, because when we analyze art, we necessarily discover our own blind-spots and prejudices. Our biases are exposed; our assumptions challenged. As one of my professors recently asserted, the humanities are unequivocally a “self-correcting” field of study.

If you’re looking for the more immediately practical outcomes of an English degree, I have those to boot. The study of English literature has furnished me with an extraordinary set of research skills, including a strong understanding of what constitutes quality, reliable information that will hold up under scrutiny. Moreover, I now know how to structure complex arguments and communicate my ideas. For the past 7 years, I’ve held a full-time job for a Tier 1 supplier to Ford Motor Company, and I cannot stress enough the importance of effective communication skills in the professional world. That they will be understood is an assumption far too many individuals take for granted, and there is nothing more frustrating than time, money, and resources wasted on poor communication. Furthermore, communication skills are at an increasing premium amid the new media environment. When journalists, bloggers, advertisers, and politicians are all vying for public attention, the ability to effectively convey an idea is vital. Even more important is your ability to disseminate and think critically about the information you receive. As the late David Foster Wallace said, “Learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think.” In this way, the humanities are still fighting the good fight, trying “to humanize people in a culture that does everything to turn them into cogs” (Diaz).

David McCullough of the National Endowment for the Humanities asserts that “you can't learn to write without writing, and, in many ways, you can't learn to think without thinking. Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly. That's why it's so hard.” And that’s why it’s so rewarding. I was speaking with one of my professors recently and we joked that the English discipline effectively ruins a person, because once you develop and hone that critical thinking faculty, you’ll never be able to look at life the same way again. Of course we say that with a smirk, but the truth is we’re only half-kidding. Here’s the deal: I’m not advocating that Bioengineering majors need to exchange their textbook on Molecular Nanotechnology for a Jane Austen novel. I’m just adding my voice to the existing chorus of those who still sing the praises of an education in the humanities. As for me, my studies in English literature have instilled such an acute awareness of contemporary social problems that I’ll be applying to programs for a Master’s in Social Work this fall. I know of English majors who have gone on to law school, and still others who have taken up work in advertising and public relations. And of course there are the obvious choices of publishing, journalism, and teaching at various levels. And hey, if you’re still hung up on the wealth, fame, and power trope, consider Mitt Romney, Conan O’Brien, Jon Stewart, Steven Spielberg, or any number of American CEOs who hold B.A.’s in the humanities.

Bottom line: It’s okay if you’re not entirely sure how you want to use your degree just yet. If you’re a humanities concentrator, supplement your major as you see fit, but don’t let the naysayers weigh you down. Your education will be largely what you make of it, and so will your degree. That’s why I will always count my B.A. in English among my greatest accomplishments in life—and why I will be forever grateful to the professors who supported my personal and professional development at UM-Dearborn.


Rachel Garrison is an English Honors Scholar who also works as a Student Mentor under Prof. Sheryl Pearson. She will be graduating with a Bachelor of the Arts in English this April.

The Comfort Zone

I have two majors: biology and criminal justice; both of these majors are linked to CASL. My majors may seem dissimilar, but in my world they are connected. I am going into a career of forensic science (fingers crossed that I get a job soon!). Going into forensic science was the easy decision. However, when your college does not have your major you have to get a little creative, hence the double major.

The good thing about CASL is that it allows students to be exposed to a variety of courses. I would know since I received two very different aspects of the CASL community throughout my college career. CASL has several great opportunities for its students.

As a criminal justice major, all students are required to have an internship. The CASL staff  is willing to help connect students with potential internships. However, since being one of the few going into forensic science, the options were minimal. I took their suggestions, but I had to get creative yet again. There are times in your college career when you have to take matters into your own hands, and make your dreams happen. For me this was one of those times. Through my persistence, I worked as an intern at the Michigan State Police Crime Lab.

At the MSP Crime Lab, a majority of my time was spent organizing a cold case in the trace unit. I would read through the case files and organize lists of the evidence. The scientists would use my lists in order to assist in their examinations. I would also observe the scientists work on their cases. The cases would range from comparing fibers or footwear, making fracture matches, collecting DNA, and processing vehicles. In some of the cases, I would help match (or exclude) known evidence to objects collected at the crime scene. For instance, I worked with shoe and tire impressions and compared them to questioned impressions found at a crime scene. For me, my internship was something new and exciting every day.

For my biology major, I was able to work in a research lab extracting DNA from lizard blood samples. The main purpose of the study was to determine if any of the lizard samples contained malaria. Through my research, I learned and practiced different techniques that are required in laboratory research: extracting DNA, conducting PCR reactions, and running DNA on agarose gels. I can utilize the skills I obtained in my future employment. I encourage every science student to try to participate in research to get exposure.

When students are going to college, everyone usually says that it is a time to find yourself. Now that I look back, I believe this statement. Before I came to college, I had very little experience of any kind of science (apparently my high school-self did not think that it was important to take chemistry or upper level biology). Therefore, I did not really know what science had to offer, but once exposed, I ended up falling in love (and out, at frustrating moments). I feel like you don’t know if you like something until you are fully immersed in the subject. Like I said before, CASL has the funny way of exposing you to a lot of different classes. Yes, some of them may feel like they are a little out of your comfort zone, but you may find out that you love the subject.

My advice to students is to make the best out of the situation you are given. Once you find that subject you are passionate about, do not let anyone stop you from making your dreams come true.

Shelby Szymoniak is a Biology Honors Scholar and a double major in Criminal Justice and Biology.