Campus Carrier Editorial Board
In one of Macklemore’s songs, “Ten Thousand Hours,” he emphasizes the fact that many students today are more focused on their passions rather than matters like tests scores. This mindset has become the norm in liberal arts schools, but this lifestyle no longer automatically leads to a life of poverty.
A recent study by the Association of American Colleges and Universities showed that humanities graduates make about the same income as fields like nursing, dispelling the common myth that English majors are destined to be baristas.
If this is the case, what should be the basis by which one chooses their field of study?
Most everyone will tell you to pick a major that will pay well after college, but if a philosophy major is on the same paygrade as a nurse, maybe there’s something more to it.
There is value in every major out there, whether that value comes from making $100,000 a year or fulfilling a lifelong dream of memorizing the Quran for college credit. What must be realized is what is more important to each student.
Majoring in accounting because it pays well is not a bad thing; majoring in accounting because you love crunching numbers isn’t a bad thing, either. What is ultimately important is deciding what is most crucial to you after college graduation.
No matter your major, you must have a plan for after graduation. An engineering student with no plan will make about the same as a religion student with no plan: minimum wage.
Love what you do, whether it is love of the outcome or love of the study. It’ll pay off, whether literally or metaphorically.