Know your contemporaries, but question the prevailing orthodox of the department. Take on the popular view of the day, but do so intelligently through your choice of classes and assignments. Write for the Xaverian Weekly and argue with the editors. Speak up, discuss, and challenge. Literature is not a cause.
Literature is debatable wisdom.
In the end, the rewards from studying English, while plentiful, do not express themselves in dollars and cents. But unlike money, the rewards will follow you around for the rest of your life.