At Saint Mary's, the Communication Studies department is incredible. There are great professors and I have amazing peers and friends in the major who I have learned a lot from. Communications gets a strange reputation, but I want to stand up for the major that holds and provides so much more than people think.

1. The major is not easy.

There is an assumption on campus that the Communications Studies major is the easy way out. However, I love it because it is just the opposite. Like all majors, the work is rigorous, the exams are challenging, and there are extra elements featured in my courses that challenge my mind in completely unconventional ways. Last semester, one of my courses brought my class to the South Bend Center for the Homeless once a week, and I don't think anyone would qualify the work we did at the Center as easy work.

2. It has diverse courses.

Within the Communication Studies major, there are so many different branches and completely differing courses about all the varying fields possible with the major. From persuasion to organizational communication to public relations, all the courses bring a new element to creating a major designed to diversify our skill set.

3. It's super fun.

Classes are always so comfortable and every day brings about new activities that bring us closer together with our classmates. We are encouraged to share stories and talk about interesting ideas with our friends. And yes, yoga and meditation in class is as amazing as it sounds.

4. The classes are amazing.

It's not just fun though. The content matter we discuss daily is thought-provoking and controversial and some subjects bring us out of our comfort zones. Along with our regular academic memorization and exams, the best learning comes from the intimate ideas and controversial discussions we are encouraged to embrace.

5. The professors are incredibly chill.

In the Saint Mary's Communication Studies department most professors go by their first names, and this makes such a difference in the class. We feel like we are allowed to talk and share in our classes as if we were just with friends, and the level of comfort really helps us open up in ways I never thought possible in a college course.

6. Everything connects.

All of the courses are so different, yet they all overlap. Courses build and continue to reinforce learning and information. Marketing and Public Communications are such difference courses; however, there are ideas that overlap, and this make learning more enjoyable because the ideas are just brought up with a new twist.

7. I am encourages to follow what I am passionate about.

The field of Communications covers such a vast area. I am constantly encouraged to talk about things that interest me. I can learn the basics of communications and at the same time learn more about the things I love with the help of my classmates and the information we are taught.

8. My future seems limitless.

There is no limit to where a Communication Studies degree can take you. I can do anything from Public Relations, to marketing, to producing, to social media relations. Even if I have no idea what I want to do, I know there are so many things I can try. It's comforting to know that my skill set when I graduate will be enough to qualify me for so many occupations.

9. There is constant discovery.

In every class, I have moments when I am amazed at what my peers and professors bring to the table. I am shocked by how much there is to learn in this field. The discovery never ends because there is so much in this field that has real value.

10. The lessons work into your life.

Everything about Communications has real-world value. It's all about connecting with real people. So not only does every class have academic worth, but every time I leave class I have learned more about people. Real life and communication with real people is the entire point of communications, so every part of the major is just helping us learn how to interact and bring insight into our lives. The people around us are so important to understand because if we can understand them we can better understand ourselves, and we can become open to learning thing we never would have thought about.