Like most Bishop’s students, I’ve gotten used to answering the question “What will you do after university?” Unlike most, my answer is dictated by a legally binding contract: “Oh, I joined the Navy.”
What I’m often unprepared for is the question that follows: “So, why are you getting an English degree?”
When I get this question, I tend to switch between two answers: “I needed to get an undergrad degree for my job,” or simply, “I like English.” Both are true, but neither captures why I want to be here.
Why English?
I signed my military contract when I was 17, right before I started at Bishop’s. I joined as a Naval Warfare Officer, which just means I’ll be trained in ship operations and maritime strategy. You may notice that Shakespeare and Beowulf don’t feature in the job description. “Why English?” is a good question, and one that took me a while to figure out.
Truthfully, I didn’t think my studies had much to do with my job until this summer. Right before I was set to start basic training (ten-week military boot camp), I tore my ACL and had to get knee surgery. Intense physical training was out of the picture, so for the rest of the summer, I worked odd jobs for the military. A lot of this involved reading and editing documents, like providing feedback on all the student guide documents. The close-reading and copy-editing skills I developed in English turned out to be some of the best training I could have asked for.
Beyond day-to-day tasks, though, English builds critical thinking by working closely with evidence and argument. Good critical thinking is invaluable to any job; the Navy is no exception.
So, what is a liberal arts education (and why should you care)?
Bishop’s is known as a “liberal arts university”, which just means that we concentrate on developing broad thinking and collaboration across disciplines. Simply speaking, you should be a good critical thinker by the time you graduate.
I came to Bishop’s as an English major with a math minor, which definitely got me a few confused looks. I took three calculus courses in first year before I switched to a Pre-law and Communications double minor. Far from being a “waste of time,” calculus built a foundation in logical reasoning that grounded my written arguments in English courses. Both English and math trained me to recognize patterns, understand structures, and make connections between abstract concepts.
This interdisciplinary collaboration is a unique feature of a liberal arts education. So far, I’ve taken courses in religion, music, math, and philosophy outside of my literature degree. Each discipline challenges me to approach problems differently, but they all connect through key practices of creative and critical thinking.
Outside of my coursework, I sing in the chapel choir, write poetry, edit for the newspaper, and do some other activities that once felt impossibly intimidating. Each of them, in its own way, has challenged me to step outside my comfort zone and expand my perspective.
Think outside the box: The liberal arts advantage
Honestly, if I were getting a degree to prepare specifically for working as a naval officer, I would’ve applied to the Royal Military College’s Military and Strategic Studies Program. (Yeah, that’s a real thing. As far as I can tell, it’s their college’s version of sports studies). But tearing my ACL reminded me that even the best-laid plans can be thrown awry. Life throws you curveballs, and being a well-rounded thinker lets you maneuver more easily when you get knocked off-course.
I don’t think I’ll reach a big “English/military student” audience with my advice here, but everyone’s got unique challenges and uncertain futures to navigate. That’s the strength of a liberal arts education—the broader your perspective, the more tools you have to handle what comes next, whether it’s joining the navy, working in a lab, applying to law school, or any of the numerous opportunities Bishop’s affords. My advice is to take a stab at something that’s outside of your comfort zone while you’re here. Take a dance class. Model for the Bishop’s Fashion Show. Join the Navy. (For legal reasons, this is not military propaganda.) You might be surprised by how useful it can be.
At the end of the day, the world doesn’t just need specialists—it needs adaptable, curious, and thoughtful people. The world could always use a couple more good thinkers.
