Being a Public Policy major at one of the world’s best engineering schools, I often get comments and questions such as, “Public Policy? What’s that?”, “You’ll never get a job,” and “Why are you going to school here?” Just in case you’re in a similar situation, here are some helpful responses:
“You’re not going to make any money.”
Well for starters, money isn’t everything. If you choose your job solely based on how much money you make, I am afraid you may have a long and miserable career. For some reason, we seem to value working in entertainment and industry higher than careers that work for the greater good. It doesn’t make you weird or traditional—it makes you a person.
“What are you going to do with that degree?”
Hopefully, the same thing you’re going to do with yours—prove in my future job that I learned something in college. Public Policy isn’t always straight formulas or a defined career path, but it can be many things. It can be government. It can be public sector. It can mean working with my hands. It could be working at my desk. It could be global. It could be life-changing. It could improve health. It could solve world hunger. Whatever I choose to do with it, I can make a difference.
“Liberal Arts are useless.”
Fundamentally, that would make you useless, too since the Liberal Arts cover every aspect of your life from health care to education to language to relations. It studies what you eat, why you think, what’s better for you, what can hurt someone, and everything in between. I suppose that honestly, I don’t understand this comment because liberal arts is loosely the study of everything about you -- so why diss something that has at some point improved your life?
“Why are you at this school?”
This is one of the most awkward questions to be asked. It’s kind of like that scene from mean girls when you’re told “You can’t sit with us!” I don’t think I’ve ever asked, “Why are you at this school” because it kind of sounds like, “You aren’t supposed to be here, low-life”, and I think that’s incredibly rude. However, when asked, I usually answer honestly. Georgia Tech provides amazing scholarships to those whom wouldn’t have been able to go to college otherwise, the environment is great, and I enjoy it.
Truth is: It doesn't matter what you do with your degree, as long as you do something you enjoy, and you do your best daily.
