As a high school senior, I’ve spent the past four years being exposed to different types of career paths and working environments through the classes I’ve taken, the extracurriculars I’ve participated in, and the people I’ve met. Within my first two years, my intended career path had changed frequently and drastically. One day I aspired to be a veterinarian; the next a photographer. It all seemed hopeless, until junior year, when it clicked. I knew I wanted to be a writer—an author, more specifically.
I realized my love for telling stories and the confidence that it gave me. My parents were incredibly supportive of the decision, so it was settled. For all of my college applications, I would select “English/Creative Writing” for my intended major and embrace it wholeheartedly. It wasn’t until after I felt so secure in my solidified career choice when I began to face opposition.
Putting down other career paths isn’t new. It’s happened since the beginning of society, with every person hoping to be at the top, with a stable job and a lavish lifestyle. Careers in the arts have never been in the highest esteem (apart from the select few who make it), and today, students are urged to pursue a more viable way of living. Each time I informed disproving inquirers of my major, they delivered repetitive lines in attempts of coaxing me out of it. It was even more disconcerting when I discovered that I wasn’t the only one who was met with the following reactions from their peers:
The Look.
First, you get a look, as if you’re supposed to drop a “just kidding!” at the end of the sentence and then explain your plans to follow a pre-med track. The look reveals that they don’t hold a career in the arts in high regard or think it worthy of four years of study. If they don’t walk off at this point in the conversation (Who wants to spend time with a lowly writer when there are future neurosurgeons in the room?), they turn their frown into a grimace and seek out to change your mind.
“Get Ready for Rejection.”
When it comes to humanities and liberal arts majors, people love to remind you of the heartless rejection you’re submitting yourself to face. While that may be true, rejection is everywhere, in every field. It’s not a reason to play it safe. Pursuing your passions with all you have is your best shot at succeeding in them. And if it doesn’t hurt at times, then it’s not real. Prospective humanities majors are strong; we can stare rejection straight in the eye and make it behave.
“You Won’t Make Any Money.”
This phrase is extremely condescending, especially when led off with “If you even find a job…” It’s frightening how many times I’ve gotten this line in conversation, and while money is imperative, it’s not my main priority. When I look back at my life when I’m older, I want to be proud of my decision to follow my heart and turn my dreams into reality. I don’t want to think “Well, at least my life was financially stable.” And how can anyone say definitively that you won’t make money? Despite popular opinion, you can pursue your passion and be successful. Never give up on that.
“New York is Expensive.”
"On top of the astronomical student loans you'll accrue for studying something that won't result in a job, you want to live in the most expensive city in the country, where dreams go to die?"
Before you even have a chance to say anything else, you’re told of the skyrocketing residence prices in New York City and how a friend of a friend’s daughter’s friend moved to New York and paid a ridiculous amount of rent for a minuscule space. You don’t say anything about wanting to move to New York, but they just assume that since you are pursuing a creative degree, you’ll be a starving artist in a couple of years.
This isn't okay. Your career choice is valid and you know yourself better than anyone else. If you know that this is what you want to do, don't let anyone get in your way.
All said and done, every career is necessary and paramount to our culture. Each path is a keystone, and with the deletion of one, we will all suffer in its wake. The world needs artists, and until it’s your passion on the line, don’t deem another career path less superior than yours. Follow your heart and study what keeps you up at night, what gets you excited about the future, and what gives you a flicker of purpose. A Humanities major isn’t an easy road, but with the right focus and drive, it will be a prosperous one. Make the boldest decision possible by following your dreams and making them come true.
