As human beings, it is our nature to waste countless minutes comparing others and ourselves to others. We fall short of recognizing differences and accepting diversity and are in constant competition against others and ourselves to prove our worth in this world. This is a tragic, vicious cycle, but it is one of our basic mental processes. We put other people down to boost ourselves up.
Unfortunately, college majors are not an exception to the comparison obsession that lies within all of us. Other adults frequently ask us college students what our majors are. Yes, this is due in part because they are interested in what we plan to do with the rest of our lives and the impact we desire to leave on our world. But they also want to know where to place us on the totem pole of the real world. Based on their own lives, both in a professional and personal aspect, adults have preconceived notions about which careers will result in disappointments and which careers guarantee an ample amount of success. They are quick to pass judgement on us, whether silently or vocally, and neglect to take the human being we are into consideration.
Our majors and our prospective careers define a great portion of our identity, which is why students often feel overwhelmed by the idea of choosing a major, a path that they will walk for their entire lives. But once a person decides on a major, the challenges they face are not over. He or she will find themselves habitually defending their major to countless people, from family and friends to strangers and everyone in between.
Once we reply to the question “what’s your major," we are placed into a pool of statistics. If a person replies with a major rooted in liberal studies, like art or history, adults reply with something rude along the lines of “you’ll only be an art teacher” or “you’ll only be a (insert school level) history teacher”. This is personally infuriating, not just for the reason that I’m studying to be a teacher myself. If someone has a deep appreciation for the arts, why shouldn’t they inspire young minds to develop an appreciation of their own? When another adult precedes their response to a student’s statement with “only," it implies the student’s life will be meaningless and unimpressive. In their eyes, this choice to which we have given a great deal of consideration is wrong.
To some people, the jobs with the highest salaries, like doctors, lawyers, etc., are the paths worth pursuing and every career that is not in those fields are not worth pursuing. If they feel this way, they are sadly mistaken. Every person plays a key role in our society. There has to be someone to teach children science, how to read, and how to multiply numbers so children can grow up to become writers, engineers, or neurosurgeons. Someone has to become a chef or a food services manager to ensure that our basic nutritional needs are met.
Despite similarities in looks or personality traits, no two people are exactly alike in every sense of the word. It is crucial for a person to find a major that interests them in order to wander down a career path with which they will be satisfied. The world needs passionate journalists, advertisers, educators, doctors, nurses, biologists, lawyers, accountants, business leaders, and so on. It is a real shame that people examine the career choice an individual makes and forget to consider the amount of enthusiasm the individual will bring to their professional life.
At one point or another in our lifetimes, we will compare ourselves to our fellow members of society. Comparing college majors is a mental activity that can be stopped, however. In an essence, our majors define us because our majors indicate what we value and the work we want to spend the rest of our lives doing. To all the adults out there who ask us college students what our majors are, just know that we millennials are more than our major. Buried beneath our future career title, there is a person with ambition and feelings that can sense the silent judgement you pass on us. To all the college students frequently defending your chosen major, just know that I stand with you. It is vital that we prepare ourselves for these attacks and strategize ways to counteract them. If you are passionate about your major, your career, and your future in even the slightest degree, let it show. And finally, to all the college students who have no idea what to declare as your major, keep your chin up, find a skill/job that ignites a spark within your soul, and chase that passion with every part of your being.
