shades fills you in

The number of English majors has plummeted. Students are flocking to computer science and health care. WaPo says Nobel Prize winning economist Robert Shiller is worried -- how can we understand science if we don’t study stories?

The Atlantic says the drop is because more students think they *should* be studying a STEM major, not because they want to. They’re worried about getting a job

But that perception is flawed, argues the BBC. Employers need people with the “soft skills” you get from a major like English (e.g., empathy!), and the unemployment rate is only 1% lower for people in humanities versus STEM

This writer shares in Business Insider that they use their English-major skills all the time -- listening to different opinions, noticing themes, and of course writing clearly

An NYT Op says the downward trend is because people are uncomfortable with uncertainty. Studying English doesn’t put you on a clear path -- that ought to be liberating, but it freaks some people out

The Ball State English Department acknowledges people’s desire to have an obvious career, but tells literature lovers that if you can think critically you’ll find work

US News details the various jobs an English degree can open up, like public relations, law, education, and fundraising -- to name a few

But an Op-Ed in the LA Times says the real reason you should study English is more pure than getting a job -- love of literature!

Still, WaPo reports that English major regret is real. In fact, students regret their humanities and arts majors more than all other fields

This Guardian writer is one of them. She has real regret about not going into tech. She thinks gender stereotypes railroad women into the arts and that it’s a waste of time

And writer Ethan Canin, who majored in English, offers his own blunt take: “It will ruin books for you”