[jdbullet23]

I imagine it makes some people think of a typical undergraduate student who wants a liberal arts education and who ends up either teaching English for lack of options, or doing something completely unrelated to their degree.

That's what I've thought of in the past when considering an English major, and I'm still having my doubts even though I'm wanting to declare an English major for several reasons, not least of which is my love of writing and my desire to write for a living, as well as my thorough enjoyment of and hunger to consume and dissect and analyze and learn about and criticize and become an expert on more literature.

But I'm definitely stressing out that I won't be able to get a job. I decided not to do a concentration in teaching since I have an interest in teaching college-age English students, but absolutely no younger than that. I don't know what I can do with an English bachelors degree other than teach high school, and I'm worried about not being able to make a living as a freelance writer or get a staff job as a writer. I think it would be easier to do so if I declare a journalism major, but I'm not interested in the content of those classes.

Thanks for letting me vent, and comments/advice would be appreciated.

[Perna]

You could get a semi-science/computer/something practical :-) minor and become a technical writer to make money while you do your own type of writing/get your MFA or whatever to do what you like?

Technical Writers : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

[kaliope]

Doing what you love is certainly beneficial for a happy life. It sounds like you are really limiting your options with the specificity of wanting to only teach college English. don't you need a masters degree to teach at college? I know the community college here requires it. I would put more research into what options you have. if journalism classes don't interest you, what else may be suitable? what can broaden your career options and goals?researching these things can help reduce your stress.....take care.

[archipelago]

I was a literature major as well. It is a legitimate concern to wonder about what sorts of jobs there are for your choice, which I believe you should keep because it seems to be passionate.

I did try journalism. It wasn't so bad. There is a growing market for creative non-fiction, which is more likely to pay than fiction or poetry. Memoirs and personal essays are very popular and in demand so it might be something to look into.

Sometimes other types of occupations look favorably on having this degree because they need people who can write and communicate effectively. So you might have to take a job outside of your interests to support yourself and do your writing as your vocation.

Teaching is frequently what people consider as the main option. In my experience teaching requires a whole other set of skills that are not related to writing. Teaching writing on the other hand can be done outside of an institution. There are many poets where I live who support themselves by running workshops and critique groups. They probably can't do this completely (meaning they have help from partners or something), but they do manage to do writing as their main focus so it is possible. Good luck.

[Perna]

Good, positive blog post: My View: What will you do with an English degree? Plenty ? Schools of Thought - CNN.com Blogs

I think you could benefit from Neil Gaiman's 2012 commencement speech:

So you want to write? I'd go for it. Don't decide to teach unless you really want to teach. Gaiman made his way by writing for newspapers. Writing is a crucial skill in almost every profession, and not many people can actually write well. So I definitely think you can make money at it as long as you're willing to work... while writing your first novel on the side Good Luck!