Whenever I tell people I'm a mass communications major, their reaction 80 percent of the time is "Wow, I wish I had a fun and easy major like yours." This is the point at which my eyes roll all the way back into my head and I imagine myself telling them off right then and there (mind you I'm a decent person, so in reality, I just smile and laugh about their comment). I didn't choose my major because it's "easy," I chose it because I want to learn how to better a skill of mine that I want to turn into a career. I know I'm not the only one though, from music majors to creative writing majors and everything else that doesn't revolve around math or science, hear us out and realize that we put just as much time and effort into our studies (if not more) as everyone else.
I remember going to orientation before the start of freshman year and it seemed like everyone I met was either majoring in biomedical sciences or engineering of some sort. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against people studying these subjects, I actually really wish I could do some of the things they can. However, plain and simple, I just suck at math and science and have no aspiration to become a doctor or a scientist. Staying up all night to study and write papers is already no fun but I don't know how anyone can stay up all night to study chemistry and write lab reports.
Another one of my favorite questions I get asked, usually by my parents, is the old "Don't you want to have a job after you graduate?" A job, like a stable career? Who on earth would want one of those? Of course, I'm trying to be employed after I graduate! If I've learned anything in college so far it's that experience and networking is huge. Who you know is more important than what you know. It's one thing to be able to sit in a classroom and regurgitate knowledge back for a grade, but being able to apply it in the real world seems like a much better skill to have.
So while it may be easier for a, let's say, chemical engineering major, to get a job than me and they may be making more money as well, I'll still have goals I'll be working towards. Personally, I plan to write or get published in a certain major magazine someday (lots of writing work is freelance) but I realize that obviously can't happen without a lot of hard work and rejection at first. Anyone can be successful at anything they want to do and let's face it, the world can't go round if everyone's a doctor or lawyer. Let's stop bashing what other people are studying and start appreciating and accepting the time and effort people put into their work.
