Good luck finding a job after college.
Ah, the familiar phrase that has been used time and time again in response to the age-old "so, what's your major?" question. Anymore, it's not a comment that draws offense as much as extreme frustration. As a journalism major, I've heard it more times than I can count; that my career choice is a waste of time and money, and that I should consider something more "practical" while I still have the chance. Am I going to listen? Absolutely not, and neither should you.
The entire purpose of going to college is to find a field of study that we fell passion for, and take it to the next level as we earn a degree to do what we love as a career. Whether you become a doctor, lawyer, journalist, artist, etc., each plays an important role in their respective fields. The ongoing problem is that this is not always seen as the case.
We are told that there are much better options for us as undergrads. We are told that we will never be financially secure in our futures. We are told that our majors are "easy." We are sometimes even laughed at. And for what? For pursuing our goals and dreams? It hardly seems fair.
We choose our future career path for a reason. It's what we enjoy doing, so much so that we make the decision to spend four (or more) years dedicated to learning and perfecting everything that is needed in order to be as successful and as financially stable as possible. More importantly, we choose the path that will make us happy.
Sure, some fields may not be as large as others, and sure, jobs may be competitive, but so what? When it comes down to it, "easy" is not a word in any profession's vocabulary, no matter what it may be. We are aware of the challenges that we may face in the future, and we are more than willing and eager to take them on. We work just as hard to earn our degree as everyone else, and though it may be easy to become persuaded otherwise, keep in mind the one and only opinion that matters: your own.
No matter what dream it is that you have of accomplishing, might it be a career in medicine, teaching, writing or musical theater, the overall purpose is the same: it is what you want to do with your life, and you are going above and beyond to make it happen. You just might go on to become the next great novelist like Hemingway or artist like Van Gogh. You've made the decision to further your education, and that is something to be proud of in itself. So the next time you receive an unpleasant comment, shake off the negativity, put a smile on your face and keep moving forward. The best is yet to be.
