»Rachel Oakley
–Guest Writer
College students have lots of decisions to make when it comes to furthering their education. Which university to attend, whether to live on campus or commute, and the decision of taking out a loan or working through college are all huge choices the new student might face. However, arguably, the most important decision to make is the choosing of a field of study.
The real dilemma is: should you pick a safe major that promises a job after college, or should you choose something you love to do that may be considered risky?
For some, choosing a major is the decision that will determine the course of the rest of their lives, and they want to make sure that there will be a job waiting for them at the end of that degree.
However, according to her book, “New Directions in Higher Education” Karen Leppel outlined the possibility that college persistence may be related to choice of major.
“Students who have chosen majors which are not so directly linked to a particular job may have picked those fields because of a greater interest in studying the selected subjects. Hence, they may be more likely to think that their course work is interesting.” Leppel wrote.
»Graphic by Christy Walker | Cartoonist
While I do see the validity in choosing a major that promises a job at the end of college, I cannot imagine working for four or more years towards a career I would hate. Taking classes that are boring and don’t seem to have any real world use would be a waste of time and money.
If the student likes their field of study they are more likely to want to come to class, pay attention, and participate willingly.
This will reflect positively on their grades, which will give them more motivation to excel, creating a cycle of successful coursework that will surely improve their chances for success.
This is not to say that the student should choose their major exclusively on what interests them.
The idea of not having a secure job after college can be as daunting to some as boring coursework can be to others.
There is a happy medium.
“You should pick a major in a field that is broad enough that you can find a career doing something you love while having a secure degree that allows you to have multiple choices and backup plans” said Daniel Lockwood, a pre-law major.
“You spend all this money on college, you might as well make a good investment and do something you love that is still practical.”
