<p>I'm still a high school senior but I'm starting make my game plan for the next 5 years of my life in college. I want to major in English (creative writing) but I also want to do something else with that. I really like Film and media based topics. I also really like Sociology. I'm not sure which is the better pair...English with Film/or Communications OR English with Sociology. I do plan on going to grad school and I want a good job. Which of these will open lots of doors for me? It would really cool to hear from any English majors. Thanks.</p>
<p>Yeah, both of these majors are solid choices. It really depends on what you want to do. Personally, I went with English/Communications and I loved my classes.</p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback cherrios. What is like to major in English? I really like to write…A LOT. I’m not a huge fan of reading, but I do enjoy it to some extent. But I really like to write. Would this major suit me? What was it like for you?</p>
<p>As an aspiring fiction writer, all I can say is, read, read, read! Whether you major in english or creative writing, reading will be crucial. There’s no getting around it. However, look closely at schools that have majors in creative writing as opposed to just English with a writing track. Now this may be a mere stereotype, but I’ve heard the English major described as made for people who want to teach literature or who can’t choose a major. That does makes sense because an education with a lot of reading and writing (whether creative or not) will lead to other career options as well. On the other hand, even if a school doesn’t have a creative writing major, an artsy school with English and a writing track is a lot better than a more academic or sporty school with that. I recently got into a special writing program at SUNY Purchase. It did require a portfolio.</p>
<p>I don’t think it matters whether a college or university has an “English major with a writing track” or a separate creative writing major. The work you will be doing as an undergraduate is the same in either case. Some schools just fold their creative writing faculty into their English departments, while others give them a different departmental home. In either case, access to upper-level courses in fiction, poetry, etc. are normally by faculty permission–i.e., you can’t just sign up–and faculty permission is granted via your writing portfolio.</p>
<p>What you should look for is 1) quality of the creative writing faculty and 2) opportunities to do a lot of writing every semester–a healthy variety of CW courses plus the possibility of doing a creative project as an honors thesis or independent project in your senior year.</p>
<p>Universities with fine MFA programs are good places to look; some LACs also offer very fine creative writing programs.</p>
<p>Don’t shy away from reading a lot–not just contemporary fiction and poetry, but older stuff as well. Immersing yourself in great writing is one way to make yours better. Good teachers can help make the more archaic texts a lot more accessible and interesting. In an undergraduate English major you typically do a ton of writing as well as reading, though most of the papers in literature courses are going to be analytical/critical rather than “creative.”</p>
<p>You can pair just about anything with English–it depends on what interests you, and what your career goals are.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t recommend English for someone who says “I’m not a huge fan of reading but I do enjoy it to some extent.”</p>
<p>As an English major in most universities, you will read, read, read - then write. And you’ll be writing about what you’re reading. </p>
<p>In fact, in many universities, enormous required reading lists are used to weed out the less serious student. So if you’re not sure you want to spend 4-years reading, reading, reading - and then writing - English is not the major for you.</p>