In the sixth week of my third semester as a Creative Writing major, I still hesitate when people ask me what I'm studying at school.

I'm not one hundred percent sure why that hesitation is there. I know the answer whenever the question is asked; it's crouching at the tip of my tongue, ready to leap out at a moment's notice, but I find myself biting it back.

I know a big part of it is the fear of that dreaded "what are you going to do with that?" or even worse, "I didn't know that was something you could major in". "That" being what most people see as a hobby.

There is truly nothing more discrediting than having someone say to you that your passion is just a hobby, that all the hard work you've put into this thing you love is being passed off as easy skill.

I hate that I'm even a little bit dependent on outside validation. I'm not going to stop what I'm doing because one person, or five people, or hundreds of people don't think I can.

I've always been a good student on paper. My grades in school were good, I always showed up to class, participated, and went the extra mile to make sure I was doing the best work possible.

But it is in my writing classes, the workshops I'm taking, the visiting authors I'm talking to, and the department events I'm attending where I've learned more than any other class before had taught me.

I'm so, so unbelievably lucky to be studying what I love, and I did go into this field knowing that whatever future job I have won't just be "writer". I'm learning creative skills I can take with me in any job I go for.

Writing is part of who I am. Writing these articles every week isn't just a hobby; it's practice, skill-based learning with something I love more than anything else in the world.

I am a creative writing major. It is a real major, not simply a hobby. I am studying to be a writer.

Maybe as soon as I embrace that, the hesitation will go away for good.