The 'High's and 'Low's of an English Literature Degree

Having come across this article on career paths for English Literature students, I was struck by how few things I could describe as a 'bad' experience. This, in turn, got me thinking about why it is that I can see so few of the downsides that are mentioned on the Twitter stream #thegoodthebadthelit. 

Being an English student, I'm not stranger to the idea of the world as a whole being an immensely complex instance of billions upon billions, or even endless, influences on everything from all directions. To me, it's a fundamental of what I have learned since beginning my degree in 2009. I suppose that I have always had a tendency towards seeing the complexities of certain situations, but my study of English literature has taken this consciousness to another level. There is simply no such thing as a simple problem with a simple solution: especially not where social and political problems are concerned.

I can certainly state that my English degree has been a positive force in my life; I can honestly recount nothing that I consider unfortunate about it that has not also conferred a significant benefit to me. The benefit, in some cases, is simply that the misfortune has taught me somewhat about myself that I didn't know before, or encouraged me to step outside of my comfortable boundaries in order to solve problems that I, in some cases, didn't fully realise that I had.

As to benefits, I'm awash with them. I feel more confident, independent and capable of arguing coherently about things that really matter to me. I have found my voice and now write my own blog, and I have had more experience of aspiration and how to engage with it than I have had in all my previous life beforehand. I have also met some wonderful people.

This is all part of the real benefit of an English literature degree; it teaches one to think.  I have no fears about my future employment, and many ideas for directions that I could go in. None are too fixed and rigid, as such solid ambition only leads to disappointment. To use an old analogy; the supple tree will bend in the wind - the rigid one will break. I plan to visit Japan after my studies. I plan to achieve a first-class degree, no matter the effort it requires, because I am capable of it.

Having completed a four-hundred mile tour of Wales and Ireland by bicycle in the past few months, I really feel that I could take on anything. Admittedly, my dissertation will likely be more challenging than the three mountain ranges; they, at the very basic level, required little actual thought. 

This, as inspired by the Guardian article linked above, is my answer to the question about the highs and lows of my degree; ultimately, it's all a high.