A few weeks ago I read an article about a girl following her dream and going into the programme she really wanted to study, whether it led her to a job or not. I know no one with a brain should ever read the comments on internet articles, but I did…and I was horrified! People shamed the girl for wasting time and money for studying something that will lead her to a wasted life of state benefits. Talk about a slippery slope…
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and here is mine: no one is ever going to say on their deathbed that they wished they worked more and made more money. I think the real truth in ‘wasting time and money’ would be to study and pursue a career you hate and would be unhappy in. That is one of the reasons I decided to pursue English literature. Certain people may say it’s pointless, but I couldn’t care less what those people say because I spent amazing years studying literature and I have a certainty in my heart that this was the right path for me.
Here are 25 things I learned as a literature student:
1) How to write effectively and concisely.
2) Different ways to express myself.
3) How to think critically.
4) How to construct arguments.
5) How to speak comfortably in public. (well, without sweating too much..)
6) How to read five books at once and not be (too) confused plot wise.
7) That it’s not quantity, it’s quality.
8) That sometimes content supersedes form.
9) That sometimes form supersedes content.
10) That writing and discussing are the best ways to learn.
11) Imagination is a powerful tool and a great way to escape.
12) That friendships flourishing over the common love of books are the greatest.
13) Books make the best gifts.
14) That there is truth in fiction.
15) With books I learned about the injustices brought by human nature.
16) About the times in history I will never know.
17) About love and the human heart.
18) I learned to grieve and about the different ways people express anger and sadness.
19) How romantic it is to read out loud to someone.
20) That words can be weapons but also a shield.
21) That sometimes evil wins.
22) But that there is good in people and in the world.
23) I learned about myself through the stories of hundreds of people I will never know.
24) I learned that by reading I can live a 1000 different lives and adventures.
25) That ‘Just because it happens inside your head doesn’t mean that it’s not real.’
