Is an English degree a waste?
Hey,
I just got back from a UNIQ residential at Oxford where I did English, and honestly it was such a good experience. I really enjoyed the course and the way it was taught, and I could definitely see myself studying it at uni, especially at Oxford.
The only thing is, I’m not sure if it makes sense to actually do English at university. I’m worried about the career side of things. I’m not really interested in going into law or teaching, and I feel like a lot of English grads end up in those kinds of jobs. I don’t want to spend 3 years doing something just because I like it, if it’s not actually going to help me later on. I know that sounds a bit immature, because obviously it’s important to enjoy what you study, but I guess I just don’t want to waste time and money on something that might not lead anywhere. You don’t need a degree to read and analyse books in your spare time, but at the same time I think I’d really enjoy studying English at Oxford (and just for context, I live in Oxford so I’m not just saying that because of the whole “Oxbridge prestige” thing, I genuinely liked the course and vibe there and felt like life was worth living lol).
The other thing I’ve been thinking about is going into business or management. I’m quite interested in being self-employed or doing something more entrepreneurial and I feel like doing English would kind of slow that down?
I would genuinely really appreciate anyone's take on this as I'm really stuck between following my heart and thinking reasonably.
I just got back from a UNIQ residential at Oxford where I did English, and honestly it was such a good experience. I really enjoyed the course and the way it was taught, and I could definitely see myself studying it at uni, especially at Oxford.
The only thing is, I’m not sure if it makes sense to actually do English at university. I’m worried about the career side of things. I’m not really interested in going into law or teaching, and I feel like a lot of English grads end up in those kinds of jobs. I don’t want to spend 3 years doing something just because I like it, if it’s not actually going to help me later on. I know that sounds a bit immature, because obviously it’s important to enjoy what you study, but I guess I just don’t want to waste time and money on something that might not lead anywhere. You don’t need a degree to read and analyse books in your spare time, but at the same time I think I’d really enjoy studying English at Oxford (and just for context, I live in Oxford so I’m not just saying that because of the whole “Oxbridge prestige” thing, I genuinely liked the course and vibe there and felt like life was worth living lol).
The other thing I’ve been thinking about is going into business or management. I’m quite interested in being self-employed or doing something more entrepreneurial and I feel like doing English would kind of slow that down?
I would genuinely really appreciate anyone's take on this as I'm really stuck between following my heart and thinking reasonably.
Reply 1
Original post
by dariyan0002Hey,
I just got back from a UNIQ residential at Oxford where I did English, and honestly it was such a good experience. I really enjoyed the course and the way it was taught, and I could definitely see myself studying it at uni, especially at Oxford.
The only thing is, I’m not sure if it makes sense to actually do English at university. I’m worried about the career side of things. I’m not really interested in going into law or teaching, and I feel like a lot of English grads end up in those kinds of jobs. I don’t want to spend 3 years doing something just because I like it, if it’s not actually going to help me later on. I know that sounds a bit immature, because obviously it’s important to enjoy what you study, but I guess I just don’t want to waste time and money on something that might not lead anywhere. You don’t need a degree to read and analyse books in your spare time, but at the same time I think I’d really enjoy studying English at Oxford (and just for context, I live in Oxford so I’m not just saying that because of the whole “Oxbridge prestige” thing, I genuinely liked the course and vibe there and felt like life was worth living lol).
The other thing I’ve been thinking about is going into business or management. I’m quite interested in being self-employed or doing something more entrepreneurial and I feel like doing English would kind of slow that down?
I would genuinely really appreciate anyone's take on this as I'm really stuck between following my heart and thinking reasonably.
I just got back from a UNIQ residential at Oxford where I did English, and honestly it was such a good experience. I really enjoyed the course and the way it was taught, and I could definitely see myself studying it at uni, especially at Oxford.
The only thing is, I’m not sure if it makes sense to actually do English at university. I’m worried about the career side of things. I’m not really interested in going into law or teaching, and I feel like a lot of English grads end up in those kinds of jobs. I don’t want to spend 3 years doing something just because I like it, if it’s not actually going to help me later on. I know that sounds a bit immature, because obviously it’s important to enjoy what you study, but I guess I just don’t want to waste time and money on something that might not lead anywhere. You don’t need a degree to read and analyse books in your spare time, but at the same time I think I’d really enjoy studying English at Oxford (and just for context, I live in Oxford so I’m not just saying that because of the whole “Oxbridge prestige” thing, I genuinely liked the course and vibe there and felt like life was worth living lol).
The other thing I’ve been thinking about is going into business or management. I’m quite interested in being self-employed or doing something more entrepreneurial and I feel like doing English would kind of slow that down?
I would genuinely really appreciate anyone's take on this as I'm really stuck between following my heart and thinking reasonably.
That said, English is far from useless, especially from a place like Oxford. If you enjoy it, and you’re clearly good at it (getting into UNIQ is already a big achievement), then you shouldn’t feel like you’re “wasting” time or money. Oxford English is one of the most respected degrees out there, and it trains you in skills that employers value across so many industries, like critical thinking, communication, argumentation, creativity, and cultural analysis.
Potential Career paths after English Degree:
•
Marketing, Branding, and PR (especially in editorial or creative direction)
•
Publishing, Editing, and Literary Agencies
•
Journalism / Media (writing, editing, production)
•
TV, Film, and Scriptwriting
•
Civil Service & Government
•
NGOs and Non-Profit Sector
•
Corporate Strategy / Consultancy
•
Tech (especially UX writing or content strategy)
•
Entrepreneurship / Startups — Your interest in business isn’t a separate thing. Loads of English grads build their own brands or businesses because they know how to tell a story and connect with people. Those are crucial skills in business!
Also, Oxford doesn’t just give you a degree it gives you access to a network of people, resources, and internships. Many English students find career opportunities just from college contacts or alumni connections. And employers care more about how you think, not just what you studied
So u would say deff look more into English careers and see what rlly interests u the most and gl in ur journey in whatever u choose to do xx
Reply 2
Many Oxford graduates go into the same standard set of “milkround” options - ie accountancy, finance, law, management consultancy, working for large companies - regardless of what degree they took. An English degree from Oxford or a comparable university is not going to prevent you doing anything you want to - you will gain great transferable skills in critical thinking, analysis, communication, and synthesis, which are valuable in any job.
If you look on the Oxford English faculty website they have a pie chart showing careers of recent cohorts. People do all sorts of things - sure some work in media and publishing or creative industries but others work in tech,information services, consultancy, tourism, the charity sector etc. There are some really diverse careers on there and the biggest single group is “other” - ie “everything under the sun”.
If you look on the Oxford English faculty website they have a pie chart showing careers of recent cohorts. People do all sorts of things - sure some work in media and publishing or creative industries but others work in tech,information services, consultancy, tourism, the charity sector etc. There are some really diverse careers on there and the biggest single group is “other” - ie “everything under the sun”.
Reply 3
Original post
by dariyan0002Hey,
I just got back from a UNIQ residential at Oxford where I did English, and honestly it was such a good experience. I really enjoyed the course and the way it was taught, and I could definitely see myself studying it at uni, especially at Oxford.
The only thing is, I’m not sure if it makes sense to actually do English at university. I’m worried about the career side of things. I’m not really interested in going into law or teaching, and I feel like a lot of English grads end up in those kinds of jobs. I don’t want to spend 3 years doing something just because I like it, if it’s not actually going to help me later on. I know that sounds a bit immature, because obviously it’s important to enjoy what you study, but I guess I just don’t want to waste time and money on something that might not lead anywhere. You don’t need a degree to read and analyse books in your spare time, but at the same time I think I’d really enjoy studying English at Oxford (and just for context, I live in Oxford so I’m not just saying that because of the whole “Oxbridge prestige” thing, I genuinely liked the course and vibe there and felt like life was worth living lol).
The other thing I’ve been thinking about is going into business or management. I’m quite interested in being self-employed or doing something more entrepreneurial and I feel like doing English would kind of slow that down?
I would genuinely really appreciate anyone's take on this as I'm really stuck between following my heart and thinking reasonably.
I just got back from a UNIQ residential at Oxford where I did English, and honestly it was such a good experience. I really enjoyed the course and the way it was taught, and I could definitely see myself studying it at uni, especially at Oxford.
The only thing is, I’m not sure if it makes sense to actually do English at university. I’m worried about the career side of things. I’m not really interested in going into law or teaching, and I feel like a lot of English grads end up in those kinds of jobs. I don’t want to spend 3 years doing something just because I like it, if it’s not actually going to help me later on. I know that sounds a bit immature, because obviously it’s important to enjoy what you study, but I guess I just don’t want to waste time and money on something that might not lead anywhere. You don’t need a degree to read and analyse books in your spare time, but at the same time I think I’d really enjoy studying English at Oxford (and just for context, I live in Oxford so I’m not just saying that because of the whole “Oxbridge prestige” thing, I genuinely liked the course and vibe there and felt like life was worth living lol).
The other thing I’ve been thinking about is going into business or management. I’m quite interested in being self-employed or doing something more entrepreneurial and I feel like doing English would kind of slow that down?
I would genuinely really appreciate anyone's take on this as I'm really stuck between following my heart and thinking reasonably.
I found this genuinely depressing to read. University shouldn't just be some sort of pre-vocational training: it really ought to be about three years of leisure and freedom to pursue an academic endeavour about which you're hugely interested. It trains you to think better and know more. Yes, lofty words like this need to survive when they make contact with reality, and you do need to think about 'career prospects' etc, but I genuinely worry when clearly articulate and thoughtful applicants such as you are put off doing a degree because they can't see where it 'leads'. The logical end point of this is to only do degrees in subjects that definitely do 'lead somewhere', so solely vocational degrees like dentistry, medicine, vet med, pharmacy...
You don’t need a degree to read and analyse books in your spare time
I’m quite interested in being self-employed or doing something more entrepreneurial and I feel like doing English would kind of slow that down?
Well you don't need a degree for any of that, English or otherwise.
Reply 4
Original post
by dariyan0002Hey,
I just got back from a UNIQ residential at Oxford where I did English, and honestly it was such a good experience. I really enjoyed the course and the way it was taught, and I could definitely see myself studying it at uni, especially at Oxford.
The only thing is, I’m not sure if it makes sense to actually do English at university. I’m worried about the career side of things. I’m not really interested in going into law or teaching, and I feel like a lot of English grads end up in those kinds of jobs. I don’t want to spend 3 years doing something just because I like it, if it’s not actually going to help me later on. I know that sounds a bit immature, because obviously it’s important to enjoy what you study, but I guess I just don’t want to waste time and money on something that might not lead anywhere. You don’t need a degree to read and analyse books in your spare time, but at the same time I think I’d really enjoy studying English at Oxford (and just for context, I live in Oxford so I’m not just saying that because of the whole “Oxbridge prestige” thing, I genuinely liked the course and vibe there and felt like life was worth living lol).
The other thing I’ve been thinking about is going into business or management. I’m quite interested in being self-employed or doing something more entrepreneurial and I feel like doing English would kind of slow that down?
I would genuinely really appreciate anyone's take on this as I'm really stuck between following my heart and thinking reasonably.
I just got back from a UNIQ residential at Oxford where I did English, and honestly it was such a good experience. I really enjoyed the course and the way it was taught, and I could definitely see myself studying it at uni, especially at Oxford.
The only thing is, I’m not sure if it makes sense to actually do English at university. I’m worried about the career side of things. I’m not really interested in going into law or teaching, and I feel like a lot of English grads end up in those kinds of jobs. I don’t want to spend 3 years doing something just because I like it, if it’s not actually going to help me later on. I know that sounds a bit immature, because obviously it’s important to enjoy what you study, but I guess I just don’t want to waste time and money on something that might not lead anywhere. You don’t need a degree to read and analyse books in your spare time, but at the same time I think I’d really enjoy studying English at Oxford (and just for context, I live in Oxford so I’m not just saying that because of the whole “Oxbridge prestige” thing, I genuinely liked the course and vibe there and felt like life was worth living lol).
The other thing I’ve been thinking about is going into business or management. I’m quite interested in being self-employed or doing something more entrepreneurial and I feel like doing English would kind of slow that down?
I would genuinely really appreciate anyone's take on this as I'm really stuck between following my heart and thinking reasonably.
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