One of the first few questions college students ask amongst themselves is what their college major is. I've always been happy to say my major is Communication Studies, however, half the time I get an odd look or a blank stare since some people don't know what it truly means.

Some have even said how pointless or meaningless this degree is because it's not very practical. However, I have to disagree. It's also not fair to belittle a degree only because it doesn't share the same material as other majors.

To begin with, people who choose a major in the College of Media and Communication are likely to graduate with a B.A. and not a B.S. The difference is simple students are allowed to freely choose many of the courses that they feel will best fulfill their interest. For example, the Collge of Media and Communication at Texas Tech permits students to pick from a wide variety of electives with the expectation of some core curriculum requirements. Some of the electives include small group communication, political campaign communication, nonverbal communication, intercultural communication, etc.; as you may notice these classes contain knowledge for the real world such as our personal, professional, and public lives. Most B.A. degrees allows students to freely build their knowledge solely on what they find the best fitting for their future careers.

A Communication Studies degree guarantees a broad area of study that allows students to choose their career path. There are also other majors like, Public Relations, Advertising, Marketing, etc., that enables you to control your college classes and post-graduation plans.

In fact, one of the things I love most about Communication Studies is how diverse it is, and that students always tend to have distinct career plans that are never short of possible.

This major like many other B.A. degrees has an endless spectrum of job possibilities. Some jobs can include, education, non-profits, business, journalism, etc.

Previously some of my friends have mentioned that no college course is necessary to attain this knowledge, but they're wrong. Believing that communicating is a given is only half right, it's an ability that people are always seeking to improve. A simple example is customer service or even, public speaking (a common fear).

From what I've learned in my previous classes I can assure you that there is much more to communication than a simple interaction, maybe the endless topic fascinates me, but it doesn't make it any less true.

I, like many others, have chosen this route for reasons such as the interest for human language and interaction, the broad spectrum of jobs, or for the pure knowledge that people sometimes lack to look in depth. Whatever the reason may be, no one should be putting others down because they're not sharing the same classes.

My major doesn't have to scream STEM, for it to mean something. The obvious mistake starts when people compare coursework. My degree plan will never require an extensive math class or science course. But that doesn't make me or anyone unintelligent.

I will, however, say this, a Communication Studies degree is broad which is why it's always recommended to find your interests and invest some time during your college years. For instance, finding an internship, or if you're someone like me who likes photography, maybe consider practicing frequently, and most importantly don't let opportunities slide, because they're going to help you gain various skills.

For example, joining an organization and getting a leadership position is another element to finding what you love most and a way to build your portfolio/resume that will benefit you in any future job you may want to apply.

All these little things can help someone with a broad major like Communication Studies, and if you have an area you already know you'd like to invest in, consider a minor. Take me, for instance, I love writing and decided to add an English minor.

I have to end by saying how great it is to have a broad major; you're allowed explore your options because let's be honest, not many of us know what route to take. But even after saying that I do believe I've found what I love and that feeling is one of a kind.

So before you see someone as less because they're not in the same area of study, either be considerate that everyone has a different degree or allow your curiosity to question their degree/plans. Because the truth is, everyone has different goals in life just like everyone has different majors.