Wiktoria Parysek |Not a major problem

As I walked to Fisher-Bennett last October, armed and ready to declare my major, I quickly mapped out my life. A B.A. from Penn, a semester abroad and a few extracurriculars should be enough for a decent start in life. But I slowed and thought to myself, "I can't just be an English major. I need something useful, too." At the time, I was planning on double-majoring in English and cognitive science: English because I enjoy it and cognitive science because . well, it has the word "science" in it, and that tends to get people places.

It is now February, and I have still not declared a second major. In fact, I no longer plan on doing so. Coming to the realization that future income should not dictate major choice helped me change the way I see my degree. While it's scary to declare a major that seems to offer so little in terms of practicality and so much in terms of question marks, I'm here to do my best to ease the fears of any potential English major (yes, I know I don't have my degree - or a job - yet).

With the pre-professional atmosphere at Penn, it's tough to admit that you'd rather major in something that could lead to you one day living in a box (don't worry, there's a Facebook support group for you). But just as history is more than memorizing dates and classical studies is more than staring at photos of the Parthenon, English is more than reading books and writing stories. Through the study of literature, students experience a blend of history, anthropology, philosophy and many other subjects.

And while pre-med is cool until sophomore year, and everyone wishes they were in Wharton until the stock market slips, liberal-arts studies always have a consistent draw. As sophomore English major Hannah McDonnell pointed out, English "is one of the most consistently relevant majors." Simply put, there's not much you can't do with an English major. Emily Steiner, English undergraduate chairwoman, believes "the English major prepares students for any career that requires superior verbal skills." I can't think of a job out there that doesn't require superior verbal skills.

So what do English graduates do? Steiner sees a spectrum, from lawyers and teachers to doctors and investment bankers. One recent graduate, Annabelle Lyons, is now an Education grad student. Now teaching 14- to 18-year-olds, she says the "analysis that I learned in college and even just the amount of reading I have done has really prepared me for teaching."

So now that we're clear on how fun and useful the English major is, let's get down to numbers. According to the salary survey on Penn's Career Services Web site, 2008 English graduates earn an average salary of $40,968. And yes, it's only five digits, but what it doesn't tell you is the range of first-job options it encompasses. While many 2008 graduates went on to Teach for America, the highs and lows included a business analyst and a spa receptionist.

And while it's sometimes tough to call home and say you're an English major - McDonnell recounts how her parents were always pushing her "not to discount the more-lucrative careers" - it's even tougher to commit to the major in a society where an English degree is taken as confirmation that you can read. Lyons recalls how she hated Avenue Q before even seeing it because "many people started singing that 'What do you do with a B.A. in English?' song."

I'm guessing that people won't stop singing that song any time soon, but I'm happy about where I am and where I'm going. That's essentially what it comes down to. Students and parents alike need to throw out the belief that there are useful and useless majors out there. If it leads to a beloved job and a decent wage, it's already more useful than your high-school degree. I doubt that the recent graduate who's now working for New York Magazine regrets his major decision. He may not be able to pay the bills yet - because he has no skills right now - but the world isn't that scary of a place.

Wiktoria Parysek is a College sophomore from Berlin.Wiki-Pedia appears on alternating Fridays. Her email address is parysek@dailypennsylvanian.com.

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