College Major Decisions
I’d be willing to bet that I was the only adult in my niece’s life that didn’t corner her at her high school graduation party and demand, “So! What will you be majoring in this fall? What are you going to do with yourself? What do you want to be when you grow up?” I knew that whatever she was planning on studying mattered to some extent, but it wasn’t life or death. Nor was her choice of major going to define her utterly (despite popular belief). I felt like it would have been the most disrespectful line of questioning I could have asked.
First of all, I’m only fourteen years older than she is, which I don’t feel gives me enough seniority to claim adult status to her kid-ness. Secondly, she’s one of those rare people who come into the world fully baked—already a complete person. Seven-year-old Sasha would stare down 21-year-old me and explain what my problem was and how I should go about fixing it.
Fully baked or not, she (bizarrely) still asks me for advice on occasion. Without fail, the first words out of my mouth are, “Seriously? Because you know that I don’t know what the eff I’m doing, right?” Does she ask me because I don’t talk to her like I’m right and she’s wrong? Or is it that she appreciates my full disclosure with regards to being as clueless and confused as everyone else? Perhaps it’s that I’ve never blown sunshine up her a**, lied to her, or pretended to know more than I do.
When high school was done and she was ready to head off to college, she cornered me and asked what my stance on college majors was. She told me she hadn’t decided on one, and wasn’t sure how to go about choosing. She was sick of people asking her, she had no idea what career she might want to aim for, and she figured I could shed some light “because you were in school for so long.” Ouch. Here’s the gist of my wisdom/experience:
The deep dark secret (the logical truth that I can’t believe most people haven’t realized) about the undergrad degree is that it doesn’t matter what you major in. There are a few exceptions (aren’t there always?). If you were born with the freak gene that allows you to see the future and you already know what you’ll be doing for graduate work, then it would behoove you to choose an undergrad degree that’s a variation on your planned graduate degree theme. Something biological or chemical would be good if you were hoping to end up in med school, for instance. Getting accounting training if you are planning to start your accounting career is another great example. Or maybe a future career in psychology would provoke you to look into psychology degree programs. You get the point.
Otherwise, it doesn’t matter. College is for learning how to learn. And for getting that incredibly expensive piece of frame-able paper. No one really cares what you studied, just that you got in, did the work, learned some stuff, met some people, and grew up a little before going off to seek your fortune.
College is expensive and will be at least four years of your life. Don’t waste it slogging through a major that brings you nothing but misery just because the adults in your life told you it was the sensible thing to do. You’ll be so sick of that particular topic by the time you graduate you’ll never pursue a career in that field anyway. Work is called work because it’s hard. As is most of life. College is the one time in your life when you’re allowed some freedom. Before college you’ve got a bunch of adults around, constantly telling you what to do. After college you’re immediately expected to step up and be one of them.
Seriously, you have from the age of twenty-one until you die to be a superiorly responsible and ridiculously stressed-out adult. If you can possibly swing it, spend college learning about something that makes you happy. Because if you die of something tragic at the age of forty-five, you’re going to be so pissed off that you went with the degree in accounting (like Uncle Milton told you to do) and never pursued your real passion (underwater basket weaving).
The many knowledgeable people who agree with my claim that your choice of major neither guarantees success nor seals your fate in the Ziploc Bag of Doom:
NPR: What’s Your Major and Does It Matter?
Take These Small Steps In College For A Big Career Later
University of Washington Student Guide
Taking the Mystery Out Of Majors
Jobs of the Future: Does a Major Matter?
Posted by Alexa Harrington
(image source*)
What a great resource this is for people struggling with the question of a major. Thanks for taking the time to put it togheter, (and thanks for including a link to my column).
Penelope
Great post. I usually tell confused freshmen that they will figure it out with time. Most people end up switching their major anyway. And (though I haven’t really done any research on this – but it might make a great thesis topic) I am willing to bet that most people do not end up working in a field related to their undergraduate major.
I double majored in Psychology and Political Science – but I am working in University Housing and (slowly) working on a MsEd in Higher Ed. Admin. No Freud or Marx involved in either my work or my graduate studies.