One of the first things that you are asked when anyone asks you about college is, "What is your major?". This is a question that most students tend to stress over this antiquated question for the majority of their first and second years of their undergraduate education. "Which major is going to get you the best job? Which major am I actually going to find an interest in? What kind of jobs can I get with a certain major?" But, as I said, this is an antiquated question for the lucky few students, such as myself, who attend liberal arts universities.
Throughout the duration of my first year of undergraduate studies, I changed my mind about my major, or degree focus, three times. Coming into my freshman year, I had determined that I was going to be an international relations and french double major. After my first semester of IR classes, I realized that it was not for me. Why should I continue with this course of action if I was not excited to take my IR classes? Your focus should be on something that particularly interests you. So, I decided for the second half of my freshman year that I was going to spread out my variety of classes. By the time mid-terms rolled around, I had determined my new course of action: a double major in french and economics. Finally, as I began to finish my first year and class selection began for the fall semester, I realized that my sudden interest in economics was fleeting. I changed my mind once again. Now, at the end of my first year, I have realized that I really do need to stick with what interests me, not what everyone expected me to do or what I expected myself to do. Although I am sure that I will probably change my mind again over the course of my second year of study, I have decided that I will try a French and German double major.
I know what some of you must be thinking. What am I going to do with a French and German major? Are there any jobs even available for this field? The answer is yes, but not in the fields that you might be thinking of. There are jobs in ultimately every field for someone with this degree, especially for someone with this degree that received it from a liberal arts university. What is this crazy person talking about? You might be thinking this now, but just wait until you hear what I am about to tell you. It's utterly mind-blowing!
As a liberal arts university student, I have had access to professionals in essentially every field possible on a daily basis. I was very fortunate to have an incredibly insightful history professor this past semester, who revealed the truth about employment to me. He was a Russian Studies major during his undergraduate years. In his years of employment experience, before furthering his education and becoming a history professor, he learned the truth about the employment conundrum: the type of degree that you have does not really matter! All that employers want is a well rounded individual who is respectful, acts in a professional manner, works hard, learns fast, and can hold their own with clients. Not to say that getting a degree is not necessary, because it is--having that additional background can give you a leg up in the work field!
Coming back to the whole liberal arts thing--being a liberal arts student is extremely valuable in the employment process. As a liberal arts university student, I have been able to get a background in so many different subjects, which has allowed me to expand my network. I have a background now in not only my foreign language major, but also in economics, international relations, history, geography, creative writing, and religious studies. It has allowed me to figure out more about myself than I would have in any other university setting! I look forward to discovering all of my interests at a liberal arts university and attaining a degree in a field of my choosing, because I CAN!
