Communications as a major is sorely misunderstood. It’s often classified as the “easy major.” Well, that’s untrue and that stigma needs to be squashed.
Communications is like Girl Scout Cookies. They have a variety of flavors but if you were to ask people to name all of them, they could probably only name Thin Mints. Maybe Tagalongs and Samoas. But, what about the Do-Si-Dos and the Trefoils? Or, the Savannah Smiles and the Thank U Berry Munches?
When I tell someone I’m a communications major, the knee-jerk response is, “Oh, so you want to be a news reporter?” That’s the Thin Mints of responses. “So you want to do something involving talking?” and “You have it easy!” are the Tagalongs and Samoas of responses. Stop the ignorance.
Some com majors do want to become news reporters or do something that “involves talking.” However, there is so much more within the com major, like production, public relations and advertising. It’s such a versatile major and you have to recognize where your talents lie to narrow it down. Some of us are stronger in writing than in speaking. Some of us want a career in sports and some in politics. With a communications degree, you have a plethora of options. You can work in public relations or in social media. You can become a broadcaster on television or radio. You can work behind the camera in production or as a screenwriter. We are generalized into one major but we are a very diverse bunch.
When I applied as a communications major, I didn’t choose so because I thought it was “easy,” or because I wasn’t a “math or science person.” I chose communications because I love to write. At first, I had no desire to become a journalist. The last thing I wanted to do was report the news. Then, I realized I didn’t have to write about Benghazi or the Zika virus. I could work for a magazine like Cosmopolitan or become a beat writer for the Green Bay Packers or write for "Saturday Night Live!" My major does not limit me. It does the exact opposite.
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows. I love to write but as a communications major, I write a lot. We do have content to research (yes, com theory does exist) and then we have to write a very lengthy paper with an annotated bibliography. Annotated bibliographies make a regular works cited page look like a cakewalk. As a writer and half-journalist, the AP Style Handbook has become my saving grace. It should be noted that what we lack in final exams, we make up in dozens of presentations and detailed projects over the course of the semester. At times, I would actually prefer an exam.
Being condensed into one major forces us to take all kinds of communications courses, so sometimes, we’re stuck taking classes we really have no interest in. It may suck but in the long run, it benefits us. If we didn’t take these classes, our communications degrees would only be somewhat true.
So, for those who think communications is an “easy” major, just remember we are the ones delivering all the information you want and need. Without us, you wouldn’t know about Ebola, Deflate-gate or the Bill Cosby scandal and "Game of Thrones" would have never made it to television. We may not be finding cures or doing your taxes but our roles in this world are just as essential.
