Abstract
This essay reports the findings of a survey of almost 300 respondents from every Australian State and the ACT1, all of whom had graduated in the past two decades with a graduate or postgraduate qualification in English Literature. We asked participants to reflect on their experience as tertiary students: what had studying English meant to them at the time? How has studying English affected their working and their personal lives post-graduation? The data collected counters neoliberalist myths about the lack of value in humanities education. Using a mix of quantitative and thematic analysis of the survey data, we argue for lifelong benefits for students graduating with a major in English.