Before coming into university, we apply for a certain college. Along with the different majors, there seems to be this certain stigma that is attached to all of them. Not every major is going to be the same, and the term “difficult course” ranges with the different classes we are all required to take.
Personally, I decided to major in journalism. When I tell people this is what I want to do they tend to have this particular look on their face. Then the common question of “Oh, what do you want to do with that?” Most people think journalism is just newspapers and tabloids. However, this is not what I want to do with my future. This wasn’t my choice just so I could follow someone famous to tell everyone what they ate, or report on something they didn’t do, or publish a false story that further degrades the reputation of a journalist. This was something I chose so I could write stories that report on the important things that are happening in life and around the world. I chose this because writing brings me joy and lets me escape from time for a little. Journalism has not only given me an opportunity to be able to write, but also look more into what is happening in the world today. I may not write about important things all the time, but that is the beauty in it. You can write whatever you want about whatever you want. They are more than just words on a page. A journalist's words can change how someone looks at something. One of the great things about it is you can write something that is near and dear to the heart, or a very serious piece. Journalism gives you that freedom to do what you want.
Another thing I always hear whenever I tell people what I want to do after I graduate is, "You won't make any money doing that." Like everything else in the world, you have to work your way up and journalism is no different. Maybe I won't be making as much as others, but I am perfectly fine with that. I would much rather be doing a job that I absolutely love than be stuck in a job just for the money.
Not all of the articles and stories I’ve read have moved me, but there are many that have made me think about what they were writing about. That is the best thing a journalist could do, and that is to make some difference in someone’s life. I want to be able to impact someone’s life with something I wrote. Even if it is just one person, that is fine by me.
At the end of the day, I am very proud of my major, and if that defines who I am then I am fine with that. It is time we start acknowledging what people's majors are and why they want to pursue that.
