Picking a major:Practicality vs. Interest

[Ryduce]

So I'm in a bit of a pickle.

Since I was young my father has beat it into my brain that the most important point of getting an education is so you can make tons of money.He has castigated me for wanting to major in History or English and not going the buisness or finance major route.

So I do realize that making money and being able to support yourself and potentially a family down the line is extremely important.But most people would say to study what makes you happy.However,it would seem silly to put forth so much effort in school and have nothing to show for it once you leave.What can you do with a Philosophy degree?

So my question to you is do you side with interest or a sure bet.How do you go about picking your major?

[Lily Adams]

I have the same issue and I vote intrest. I used to be all "money money money", too, but honestly, if you have enough to eat and house to live in, etc., you don't really need all that other stuff. I mean, yes, it's nice to have neat stuff, but it's not essential. You know what really helps? Having friends that you can really connect to. Then nothing else really matters. :) My dad keeps pressuring me into going into a more "pratical" major, but I don't think I will go his way. Are you really going to be happy doing something you think is boring while you get tons of money or be happy and just have a modest salary? It's also really stressful, too, when it comes to the practical majors. :( Just thinkin' about it...ehghgheghhhhhuhgghh. D: Let someone else who thinks writing perscriptions (dad wants me to be a pharmacist) is fun do the work and you can do what you wanna do.

You know what else is a factor? Talent. If you're better at History and English like me, you might as well strive for those fields because otherwise you will be frustrated. My English teacher says he gets a lot of people saying "Oh, you went into fuzzy studies." Liking something that is underappriciated can be both a curse and a blessing, huh?

So beat the system and do what you want to do and not what is popular or "more important" according to them. You could always become a philosophy teacher or write really awesome philosophy books and potentially become rich and famous there. :)

[Chava]

Hmm, think i mentioned this earlier as well, but here it comes:

I think it's very important to chose a major that interests you. A lot of my friends chose majors according to their potential careers in business and engineering, but let me tell you, few of them, even the girl that got into Harvard, are content today.

Whenever we meet they talk about how hard their classes are, and how little their enjoying themselves.

Uni is many years, often a whole decade of your life, and i suggest you spend those years doing something you enjoy. You only have life once right? And if it is a career you wont enjoy later either? well, doesn't make it better does it?

I think Lilly makes a good point about talents as well. No point becoming a lawyer, if what you really want is to write poetry. :)

[Pensive]

Since I was young my father has beat it into my brain that the most important point of getting an education is so you can make tons of money.

Heh.

I don't want tons of money. Never dreamed of a castle made of gold/glass or dresses of silver threads. There are things more important than that and I believe one can lead a happy life in a certain amount of money but now the question comes whether my fields of interest would allow me to live a life which would fulfil my basic necessities? Would it allow me to pay back my parents for all they have done to me? Would it allow me to live a life with my basic necessities fulfilled without having to ask somebody else for money? I think how the things are going on here, seeing the unemployment rate high, especially for arts and literature, taking these subjects would 'most probably' not allow that. It's another thing if I am exceptionally talented in these which I can see I am not (in fact I suck at fine arts).

Practicality does matter, in my humble opinion. Just emotional stuff doesn't work. Though I think parents shouldn't force their children to adapt to these they consider as practical fields, in fact they should let them decide for it, but then children should also be careful in the choice. Keep it in their minds whether they would be able to lead life in the money their job has got to offer.

Afterall one can adapt her/his interest according to the field she/he chooses but can't convince others to increase the rate of job offerings for her/his field. But I guess it all differs from person to person.....I might be saying that because I am not exceptionally talented in either arts or sciences and would be more than happy to get into engineering/medical....Again I would say it depends from person to person....if a child thinks he can adapt himself/herself to sciences, well and good but if not then still it's not the end of life. That can do him well too....it's a complex subject...

[Shalot]

I am thinking that you won't be able to make the decision until you get in the situation. I struggled with this when I was in college, and had trouble just being a student period as I was juggling work the whole time I went (if you don't have to work during college then don't). Finally, I just had to make the choice to finish college, and I did with a major in English. I did get a job, but in my opinion, I didn't make enough money to support myself so now I am in school again, pursuing a more practical field of study, one or two classes at a time at night after being at work all day.

My husband, on the other hand, is lucky in that he chose a field he loves and he also brings home a decent salary. We're not rich by any means, but if I were alone, I probably wouldn't be on LitNet all the time because I would be working two jobs just to pay my bills.

Honestly, I think you'll decide what you're going to do when you get there.

I did read an article (I forget where now) in praise of liberal arts majors who enter the work world because they are creative thinkers, organized, etc etc. It would be better if I could find the article and post a link to it.

Whatever you choose to study, give it your all and do your best. Get the best GPA you can. When you graduate, you want to feel good about what you've done in college, even if it doesn't lead you to a great salary right away. And, when you get to campus, look around for postings for student internships. Usually, internships are offered to students in their junior and senior years, but it's work experience you can put on your resume. But, just check out those internships. Something may inspire your major choice. Good luck.

[PeterL]

What one studies has little to do with whether one will make lots of money, but you would be more likely to complete a program that you liked. On the other hand there are some programs that don't lead to lucrative work. Then the are majors that could lead to anything, Philosophy and English for example.

[islandclimber]

yes go with whatever you are most interested in, and always follow that, whether it means changing majors 3 or 4 times throughout University... who cares about money... enjoying life is so much more about doing what you love... I went to school twice with engineering scholarships, thinking I would make money and buy happiness I guess, and then I finally realised that I needed to do what I love and went back for a Philosophy and Humanities double major... and even then though I love the subjects I found the way they are taught to be absurd and most of the profs where I was could care less about the students... very impersonal and cold... and now I do something I love, and reading and writing give me the education and enjoyment that university didn't...

all I'm saying is find out what you really are interested in and do that... there is no sense making yourself miserable in a career you hate...

[Petrarch's Love]

Your dad is right...up to a point. You will need to support yourself when you get out of school, and you need to be sure that by the end of your four years you've set yourself up with a practical goal to do that. That said, there are many ways to set up a practical way of supporting yourself, and you have lots of options out there. You just may not know exactly what is right for you yet, and that's very common for people entering college. You need to think out for yourself what your biggest interests, talents and priorities are. There are a couple of things to keep in mind going into college. One is that a lot of people make the mistake of thinking it's all a matter of just going to the right school, picking the correct major, and then its all kind of done for them. No matter what you major in, your success will depend on what you are bringing to the experience, and what you choose to take out of it. Coming out with nothing to show for all that study is by no means a phenomenon confined to philosophy majors. I know plenty of business majors who are working low paying jobs now because they just coasted by, assuming that somehow, magically, just getting the major would seal their success. Education can be wonderfully fulfilling, and it can be a valuable tool, but it's up to you to find how to apply it. If you push yourself into something you really hate just to please your dad, chances are you won't be motivated--or, if you have little talent in the field, you may not even be able--to make the best of what you're being offered.

The other thing to keep in mind is to go with what you are most seriously interested in. This brings us to selecting your major. There is a way to keep both you and your dad fairly happy:

Your side: Success really will start with something you feel passionate about spending time doing. It seems as though you haven't started college yet, or are early in the process? If so, don't feel that you have to pick now. Part of the first year or two of college for you may be figuring out what it truly is that you're interested in. It's good for students (and fun!) to take a variety of classes, like trying on clothes to see what fits best. As a freshman, try some of the practical classes your dad recommends that appeal to you most; try some English classes; and try a subject or two that you don't really know much or anything about. When you do chose your major, choose something that seriously appeals to you, and that you think you would be happy spending a career with. If you pick a more "practical" major but you hate the subject and have no talent for it, then you're not going to be a success at making money in that field anyway, so its a waste of time. There may, however, be what people think of as a practical field that you discover you really do like, have some talent in, and could lead to a fulfilling career. Or, you may find that you really do have the most talent/interest in an English degree and build a career from that. As Peter L suggested above, a lot of people are hired into a variety of jobs as an English major.

Your Dad's Side: Your dad has experience and perspective on his side, and he's most likely concerned that you're going to end up doing something that will mean you won't be employable after college and will just end up in a minimum wage job that you could have gotten without spending the time and money on education, or even at home sponging off him for awhile.:D He's probably also concerned that you might feel disappointed and unhappy or regret your decision, and he doesn't want to see that either. So, as early as possible for each major you're seriously considering and think you could be excited about, sit down and map out one or more practical and workable plans for gaining some sort of professional level employment with that major. Do some research into what sort of things you can do with that major and gauge how much each of those career choices appeal to you and how you're going to be able to fulfill those goals by the time you graduate. Take it seriously, but also have some fun imagining all the possible things you can do in your future. Make the career plan(s) as detailed as possible, outlining exactly what steps you're going to take along the way to get from here to there. Do this for more than one career and for more than one major, and think about which plan suits you best. Your dad's going to be much more relieved and convinced if you come to him with a plan than if you vaguely talk about what you like. He'll have much less to object to if you come to him saying "Look dad, I'm going to use my English major to get my teaching credential and teach high school. I've put some real thought into this, and it really is the job I want to do." or "Dad, I'm going to use this major to go into writing advertising, and I'm doing an internship in that field this summer." or "The English major is great for law school. I'm really passionate about the idea of studying torts, and I've also got ideas for back up jobs in the legal field that I can do right out of college and that could help me earn the money to get myself through the extra three years." The more he sees that you've thought through a plan that could actually work, the more likely he is to calm down and let you go for it. Also, for yourself, as you're looking into these careers, use it as a chance to really think about what sort of work you're going to be the happiest doing.

Just keep in mind that you have some time to explore and decide, and also that nothing is ever set in stone. People do change careers later in life, so even if you pick a career path that you think is great now, but a couple years out find it wasn't quite the fit you hoped it would be and that there's something else you're just made for, there's always room to change. Also, during college itself, even if you find that the career you think will make you happiest requires another major, but you still love English, there's always the option of doing a minor or a double major. Best of luck. I'm sure you'll do great.

[Quark]

Wow, you really hit a chord with Petrarch.

She (right? blogs are so gender neutral) does offer the best advice, though. That is, you shouldn't feel compelled to make a decision immediately. Majors only take so many hours and they give you plenty of space for electives, minors, or even another major. If you're thinking about English or History, this is particularly true. Those two usually have low requirements for the major; I think it was 36 hours at my school for an English major (out of 120 total needed for a B.A.) Your parents may be giving you good advice when they suggest you look at more typically lucrative specializations, but I would hesitate to make any definitive choices before you take some classes and know what you want. Good luck.

Oh, and tell us how it goes.

[Ryduce]

Well I'm halfway through my freshman year here.

I have pretty much taken all humanities classes.(Theology,English,History,etc)

I am never going to be a mathematician or a scientist so as soon as I finish my 3 credits of statistics I'm done.I am fairly certain that I do want to major in English,it's something I enjoy and I figure good communication and writing skills should be able to get me into a decent job somewhere.

I do have a solution to satisfy both sides.I want to major in English and then go to law school.However,I just wanted to feel secure in case of a scenario in which I don't get into law school.I hear the LSATs can be quite a bear.

Thanks for your inputs everyone.You guys are the best.

[Lily Adams]

Oh, you can do a lot with an English major, my friend! After all, we speak it! Or iif you know another language like French you could always become an interpreter. :)

[dramasnot6]

In my case, praticality lies more within my chosen career, a career of leadership in social activism. Although my most passionate interests lie in literature,drama and philosophy, I intend to study, at least for my graduate degrees, areas of less interest(not that I abhor them, they just don't evoke my innermost academic passions) like law, psychology,sociology/anthropology, and political studies.
People have done brilliant things without having gone to university at all, so my advice to anyone would be to not be miserable in your studies, find a balance of what is practical to your future plans and objectives(be it money-related or not) and what you enjoy.

[Petrarch's Love]

Wow, you really hit a chord with Petrarch.

:lol: Sorry if I rambled on a bit too long. Knee jerk reaction from college teaching. A lot of students have similar issues picking a major, so I just tapped out the advice that seems to have given the most satisfactory results in office hour consults.


She (right? blogs are so gender neutral)

Yep. It's a girl!


Well I'm halfway through my freshman year here.

I have pretty much taken all humanities classes.(Theology,English,History,etc)

I am never going to be a mathematician or a scientist so as soon as I finish my 3 credits of statistics I'm done.I am fairly certain that I do want to major in English,it's something I enjoy and I figure good communication and writing skills should be able to get me into a decent job somewhere.

I do have a solution to satisfy both sides.I want to major in English and then go to law school.However,I just wanted to feel secure in case of a scenario in which I don't get into law school.I hear the LSATs can be quite a bear.

Thanks for your inputs everyone.You guys are the best.

Great. It sounds like you actually have it pretty together then, and thinking ahead like this in your freshman year is a good sign that you'll really have your act together by the time you get out. You'll probably get into law school just fine, but I agree that anyone whose plans depend on pursuing any kind of post graduate education should probably also have a second choice back up option just in case the financial situation means you need to wait a few years or you don't get into the program you want. For right now, though, enjoy the last part of your freshman year, and have fun exploring the banquet of classes before you. :)

[Quark]

I am never going to be a mathematician or a scientist so as soon as I finish my 3 credits of statistics I'm done.I am fairly certain that I do want to major in English,it's something I enjoy and I figure good communication and writing skills should be able to get me into a decent job somewhere.

I do have a solution to satisfy both sides.I want to major in English and then go to law school.However,I just wanted to feel secure in case of a scenario in which I don't get into law school.I hear the LSATs can be quite a bear.

If you're poor at science and you're throwing out the humanities as unemployable, then you've completely stepped out of LA&S. Into what? I don't know. I suppose there's the Business program or technical fields like Health. It doesn't sound like you have much inclination for these, however, so I would just stick to your original plan. You'll probably do well at law. Besides, if disaster should strike, you could always teach English.


:lol: Sorry if I rambled on a bit too long. Knee jerk reaction from college teaching. A lot of students have similar issues picking a major, so I just tapped out the advice that seems to have given the most satisfactory results in office hour consults.

That makes sense, although it does worry me. Next year I'll be teaching a college class. I wonder if this means I'll develop 1000 word knee-jerk reactions.


Yep. It's a girl!

The Jane Austen quote kind of gave it away.

[Virgil]

So I'm in a bit of a pickle.

Since I was young my father has beat it into my brain that the most important point of getting an education is so you can make tons of money.He has castigated me for wanting to major in History or English and not going the buisness or finance major route.

So I do realize that making money and being able to support yourself and potentially a family down the line is extremely important.But most people would say to study what makes you happy.However,it would seem silly to put forth so much effort in school and have nothing to show for it once you leave.What can you do with a Philosophy degree?

So my question to you is do you side with interest or a sure bet.How do you go about picking your major?

I've answered this a number of times on Lit Net. I wish I knew which threads were my comments so I can just point you to them. You have to ask yourself this Ry, why do you love history and English lit? Would you be happy teaching? And why can't you learn and explore them as a side passion?

Let me tell you about my experience. I started as a science/math oriented student. Natural inclination for me was to physics/engineering, and I initially liked it. But early in college I got attracted to literature. I had always loved reading, but in college it was all put together for me so that it cohered and was very enlightening. I loved literature. But I still like engineering. So I had a choice, and since my parents were poor and needed me to have a good job I stayed in engineering. Toward the end of engineering school, I actually grew to hate it. It became completely disconnected from the hands on science I loved. But I squeezed it out. I watched my other friends get lit degrees. So what happened? They hate their teaching jobs or writing for magazine jobs and I love my engineering job. Real life engineering turned out to be completely different from school engineering. I know I would never have been happy being as a teacher. It's not me. Teaching the same book over and over again would be boring, and listening to students whine is irritating. And not only that, I make a good deal more than a teacher. If you want to teach at a college level, you've got to get a PhD and that takes forever. My brother has a PhD in Anthropology and it took until he was almost 40 years old, and even now he's not tenured at a University but has to teach at several to make ends meet. Frankly, I'm sorry to all the teachers here, it's a crappy life, and what exactly is it that you're doing that one loves so much? I get to have a good job and I still entertain myself with literature. I got my master's ddegree in lit, not because it was going to get me anything, but because I enjoyed it. So that's my story. It's probably incoherent since I rush this but ask me anything you like and I'll be happy to give you advice.

[dramasnot6]

Do you know what he did his anthropology thesis on exactly Virgil? I am finding that I am in love with my anthropology unit this semester, so much so that I too may want to get an Anthropology PhD.

[Virgil]

Do you know what he did his anthropology thesis on exactly Virgil? I am finding that I am in love with my anthropology unit this semester, so much so that I too may want to get an Anthropology PhD.

He did something on the native people of Peru and I think on their relationship to their environment. I think he spent almost a year there and has gone back a few times. I'll find out exactly for you drama. Anthropology is a fascinating subject.

[Ryduce]

That's awesome,I always wanted to be Indiana Jones when I was younger.

I didn't even realize they offered anthropology here till after I selected my classes.I hope I get an opportunity to select it as a elective.

[Virgil]

That's awesome,I always wanted to be Indiana Jones when I was younger.

I didn't even realize they offered anthropology here till after I selected my classes.I hope I get an opportunity to select it as a elective.

:lol: Yeah but did you read my other post above. I thought I was profound there. ;)

[dramasnot6]

He did something on the native people of Peru and I think on their relationship to their environment. I think he spent almost a year there and has gone back a few times. I'll find out exactly for you drama. Anthropology is a fascinating subject.

Thanks Virgil! Sounds like a great topic!

[Chava]

Do you know what he did his anthropology thesis on exactly Virgil? I am finding that I am in love with my anthropology unit this semester, so much so that I too may want to get an Anthropology PhD.

Both my parents are anthropologists. My mom was highly sceptical when i said i wanted to enter the same field. But it's hard to tell that to a kid who grew up in rainforests because of their parents' careers.
I think it's awesome drama. Good luck with it!

[Ryduce]

I've answered this a number of times on Lit Net. I wish I knew which threads were my comments so I can just point you to them. You have to ask yourself this Ry, why do you love history and English lit? Would you be happy teaching? And why can't you learn and explore them as a side passion?

Let me tell you about my experience. I started as a science/math oriented student. Natural inclination for me was to physics/engineering, and I initially liked it. But early in college I got attracted to literature. I had always loved reading, but in college it was all put together for me so that it cohered and was very enlightening. I loved literature. But I still like engineering. So I had a choice, and since my parents were poor and needed me to have a good job I stayed in engineering. Toward the end of engineering school, I actually grew to hate it. It became completely disconnected from the hands on science I loved. But I squeezed it out. I watched my other friends get lit degrees. So what happened? They hate their teaching jobs or writing for magazine jobs and I love my engineering job. Real life engineering turned out to be completely different from school engineering. I know I would never have been happy being as a teacher. It's not me. Teaching the same book over and over again would be boring, and listening to students whine is irritating. And not only that, I make a good deal more than a teacher. If you want to teach at a college level, you've got to get a PhD and that takes forever. My brother has a PhD in Anthropology and it took until he was almost 40 years old, and even now he's not tenured at a University but has to teach at several to make ends meet. Frankly, I'm sorry to all the teachers here, it's a crappy life, and what exactly is it that you're doing that one loves so much? I get to have a good job and I still entertain myself with literature. I got my master's ddegree in lit, not because it was going to get me anything, but because I enjoyed it. So that's my story. It's probably incoherent since I rush this but ask me anything you like and I'll be happy to give you advice.

It's funny to me that all your friends got lit degrees while you pursued engineering.It is almost the exact opposite for me.All of my friends are engineering students,and think it's quite odd that I read books all day.

At least you had the desire to do engineering in the first place.Which is where you and I differ.The fact that it is quite profitable is a bonus,and allowed you to go and get your English degree because you always had your engineering to fall back on.I've never really enjoyed anything in school other than English,History,and some Government type classes.None of those really hold much promise in financial terms,but I do really want to go to law school,which hopefully will end both sides bickering.

I do agree with you on the teaching though.The only upside I can see to it is the abundant amount of time you have off.Every holiday,spring break,and 3 months for summer isn't a bad deal.

Oh and if your brother ever decides to go treasure hunting,ask him if he needs a sidekick.