Every time I mention that I am an English major, I get the Oh!-how-unfortunate look followed by, “What are you going to do with that after college? Teach?” The response, my fellow English students, is: “I am going to be a philologist!” Say this with enthusiasm and conviction, and shut your inquisitor up, once and for all.
philology (f&-'lä-l&-jE) n. the study of literature and of disciplines relevant to literature or to language as used in literature.
2 comments:
One of the club waitresses I was talking to the other night said she was an English major. Asking her if she was going to teach was my exact response. I think each major has a customary response associated with it. For instance when I tell people that I have a computer science degree their response is "ohh, computers. I bet you can fix my computer problem..." If I have the energy, I try to explain to them that computers are only a tool to do other things. By this point, they have a blank stare on their face so I just change the subject. I think you have to study the subject to fully appreciate potential of what you can do with that subject.
I wish I could have thought of that reply years ago.
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