According to the conversation, the woman

M: Hi, Mary, got time for a coffee?
W: Of course. Oh, Jack, you look upset. Any problems?
M: Yes. The problem is I don’t know what courses I should take.
W: So am I. But we can work something out together. We should really talk about this with our academic supervisor, but she’s away until Thursday, which might be a bit late to register for some of the more popular courses.
M: That’s my worry. It’s lucky we’re doing the same major, so some of our courses will be the same. What did your parents say when you told them you would be an English major?
W: Well, dad thinks I’m crazy. "You’ll never find a decent job when you graduate. A teacher or a secretary, that’s about all you’ll be good for!"
M: What about your mum?
W: Oh, she loves reading and has dreams of me becoming a great writer or something. What about your parents?
M: Actually, they agree. They’re both teachers, and are always moaning about the terrible English of most of their students.
W: Anyway, let’s have a look at some of these courses. I thought of taking Latin. People say it’ll train my brain and help with French and Spanish, as well as English.
M: I think that’s nonsense. It’s a dead language. If you want to learn Spanish, Italian or something, then learn it directly.
W: You’re right. Actually, I’m playing with the idea of doing journalism later. Foreign languages are always useful for a journalist. Maybe I’ll take oral French.