Parents won't let me study English Literature (please help)

Be careful you may regret it. Your parents definitely have a point that job prospects are abysmal in English literature. Everyone who does the course wants to be the professor one day, and there are many graduates year after year, but only 1 professor.

Instead study journalism. You say that is one of the careers you are interested in anyway.

It's better to make your own choice then end up in debt for the rest of your life after having taken a degree in a subject you didn't even enjoy. Jobs are scarce for everyone right now and you will be at a greater disadvantage taking a subject you don't like and aren't committed to than taking English.

I understand that, but isn't journalism just as difficult to get into, perhaps more difficult?

Hi, so my GCSE results were average when it came to science and maths, but i got A* and A in English Lang and Lit. My parents told me that I can't study English at Uni or they won't support me. I don't know what to do. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

Journalism is much better than English literature mate. Journalism is a profession, English literature isn't. Always go with a course that corresponds with a profession, e.g. medicine, pharmacy, engineering, journalism, accountancy, law. You can't go wrong if you choose a professional field.

There is literally nothing wrong with doing an English degree.
You will find a job after doing that degree, it just doesn't necessarily have to be related to English! There are plenty of options for jobs for English graduates.

And yes, as someone has already mentioned, there is a massive jump up from GCSE to A Level in Maths and Science (I did Maths, Biology, English Lang/Lit at A Level and Chemistry AS) And then there's also a jump up from AS to A2 as well. Maths and Chemistry are especially tough at A Level as you need to be able to understand the Maths behind it to be able to apply it in exam questions. Biology - the content I found fairly simple, what makes it hard is that there is a LOT to learn for it and with the exam board I did, they wanted exact wording from you else you wouldn't get the marks.

To be honest, I would advise to do English. It seems that English is your strong point and you enjoy it. I don't see the point in studying a degree you aren't going to enjoy, and therefore lead to a job you'll ultimately hate and resent.

Good Luck!

Be careful you may regret it. Your parents definitely have a point that job prospects are abysmal in English literature. Everyone who does the course wants to be the professor one day, and there are many graduates year after year, but only 1 professor.

Instead study journalism. You say that is one of the careers you are interested in anyway.

If you don't do something you're truly passionate about, you'll never be at peace and you probably won't do well (if you hate the subject). Life is about building a life you're happy to live. One you don't regularly have to call in sick for.

I know it's difficult having parent's that insist you take a certain career path, but you genuinely have to say it how it is without beating around the bush, and be firm that you must appeals to you, and not them. It seems like they will accept it, but they will.

Sometimes parent's are more inclined to listening to adults, and teacher's, so maybe ask if your English teacher will have a word. I'm sure your English teacher will be happy to support you in pursuing a career in English. Having said that, you've still got time to think about career paths. The best thing for you to do now would be to pick subjects you're interested in studying further, which seems to be the Arts and specifically English.
Keep working at the pace you are now and you will go on to doing great things.

Journalism is much better than English literature mate. Journalism is a profession, English literature isn't. Always go with a course that corresponds with a profession, e.g. medicine, pharmacy, engineering, journalism, accountancy, law. You can't go wrong if you choose a professional field.

As someone who is currently studying for an English degree, I can say with absolute certainty that NOT everyone who studies this wants to be a professor one day.
I certainly don't, and I don't know anyone who does want to.

Jobs that are linked directly to English are tough to come by and are hard to get into, I'll admit. But that does not meant that jobs prospects are awful. But jobs that are not directly linked to English are by all means not the only jobs that are open to us.

At the end of the day, it's a choice between OP studying a course where they're happy or a course where they will hate and resent the fact that they did it because they felt pressured into doing it by parents/society.

I disagree. Whilst I respect them, vocational degree's are not for everyone. They lead to very narrow job prospects - in most cases, just one, with slight variation. Getting a more broad degree, such as English, Politics, Biology etc opens way to a range of potential career paths. It depends on the person entirely. Some people are fixed on career paths, others aren't.

Thanks for your reply, yes i think getting the head of sixth form to talk to my mother could help. Btw if I studied Eng lit, Eng lang, history and politics would that be a good combination for Literature? Also how is Law doing considering job prospects if you know?

They say that I won't get a job with that degree and it's not as respectable as, say, medicine or engineering.

Yes you're right, I would hate a science related job. As much as I hate doubting myself right now, is it just possible that my mother speaks some truth when she says that i dont know what i want and if i study Eng Lit, half way I will change my mind? I'd like to think I wouldn't. But I have always been good at English.

I wouldn't recommend studying English literature and then English language too at A level, as one grade in English will suffice and would look more impressive if you studied another subject. Apart from that, sounds like a decent combination.

I have no idea, sorry.

If it's any help, I did a year doing Radiography, partly because, coming from a science-y family, I felt like I was expected to do. I hated it. I switched to English after one year and wish I hadn't been so stupid and done English from the word go.

If English s something you genuinely enjoy and love to do and you're good at it, I don't see why you'd regret it and change your mind later.

They say that I won't get a job with that degree and it's not as respectable as, say, medicine or engineering.