What drew you to the major?
I hate to be the cliché, but I am. I have loved reading and writing from a young age. I have always known that I wanted to write. While the form of writing I most want to write in has changed over the years, the desire to write has always been there. Reading is something I could never imagine not doing. Many books, poems, films, and other things that are written capture different aspects of the human experience so beautifully that it is hard to imagine life without them. When I first applied to CWRU, I applied as a Biology major on the pre-med track. Before admissions decisions were made, I emailed someone from admissions to change my intended major to English. What had caused me to make that change was the age-old dilemma of what I wanted to do with my life. After some thought (and after already submitting my application), I realized that I loved biology and human anatomy & physiology as a hobby, but not as something I could see myself doing for the rest of my life. I knew that I could write and talk about English for the rest of my life and never get bored or dissatisfied. It is a choice I have not regretted since my acceptance into CWRU.
How has your English major prepared you for life after graduation?
The English major prepares you for so much. I think the biggest and most obvious one is communication. The English major truly teaches you how to think for yourself and put those original thoughts into words. I can say, sincerely, that since my start in the English major, I have learned how to communicate my ideas more effectively with peers. The English major has also prepared me for analyzing the world. Once you learn how to deeply analyze a text, it translates to everything. Everything is worthy of analysis, and everything is a text. At this moment in time, especially, being able to think critically and from many angles is imperative. The English major has forced me to strengthen this skill. It has also forced me to be open to feedback. Criticism and feedback are something that a lot of people, myself included, struggle with. Once you are an English major, you get over that very quickly. Soon, you’re begging people to look at your work so you have feedback to work off of. This is a skill that applies everywhere beyond university.
What is it like being an English major at Case in particular, with its perceived focus on the sciences?
Being an English major at CWRU is such a unique experience. You get to know the people in your department that you are graduating with on a personal level, which I think is something that sets the humanities majors apart from the STEM fields. Our class sizes are small, so you have a forced proximity there that ends up building beautiful relationships with people that you otherwise may have never met. And then, surprise! Those same people will probably appear in your classes in future semesters, and then you’ll be friends, etc., etc. This is also the same relationship you build with professors that you may not get in the STEM departments. I’ve had the same professors for many of my classes, and it has been wonderful. I feel that once a professor starts to know you and your writing style, then they can only give you better and better feedback on your writing. The home of the English department is also one of the gorgeous, cozy buildings on Mather Quad, which is only right.
Why would you encourage a prospective English major to sign on?
I would encourage someone to become an English major for a plethora of reasons. The first is that you can become a double major! If you are unsure of changing your major and moving away from STEM (if that is your thing), why not just add another major on! Take a few classes in the department, and I am sure you will fall in love; it is hard not to. If you have not applied yet, but are thinking of it: do it. You will be grateful that you did. There are so many benefits to becoming an English major at CWRU. You don’t just get the skills I spoke of before; you also get an incredible circle of people who want you to be the best you can be. The professors in the English department deserve to be hyped up because they are incredible at what they do. They are always willing to help their students and meet with students to discuss things outside of class. They want to see you succeed. The English department is also very good at reaching out to students about new classes, internships, scholarship opportunities, etc. There is always something going on in the English department, and they make sure everyone knows about it, which is awesome. Finally, if you love reading and writing with everything in you, make the jump. It’s like in The Dead Poets Society when Robin Williams’s character says, “We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.” If you want to be a part of the people who create and analyze art that makes life worth living, join us. We even have fun niche classes like “Literature of Fly Fishing!”