Being that this is my second year at Kansas State University, I've started to notice some misconceptions about the major I love and know. After introducing myself as an agricultural communications and journalism major, I always receive comments such as "that must be easy" and the famous comment of "so what... you, like, talk to animals?" After being at Kansas State University for a year, along with being an ag major, I comprised a list of the most common misconceptions we as agriculturalist, deal with DAILY.
1. We Didn't All Grow Up In The Boondocks
We all don't go straight off the farm and into the "big city" to go to college. There are TONS of ag majors who grew up in large cities that have a burning passion for agriculture. People need to understand agriculture is EVERYWHERE! Meaning, there is all walks of life on campus...even in the college of agriculture.
2. It's A Lot Harder Than It Looks
There's an unspoken stigma that people not involved in the industry often assume ag majors simply aren't smart and that our majors are easy. Have you ever taken Reproduction? I didn't think so. If you did, you would tip your hat at every person who made it out alive. We don't just study how to farm and talk to farmers. We learn the structure of crops, every inch of the reproduction tract and how to properly communicate with producers and design their image to their brand.
I invite anyone who thinks agricultural majors are easy to spend a week taking our classes and then see what they have to say. People not involved in the industry may have some pretty off-the-wall misconceptions about what it's like to study agriculture in college. But those of us that live it and breath it know the truth. And most importantly, we know that our passion for the American agriculture industry will only grow as we continue our educations.
3. We Don't All Wear Boots & Cowboy Hats
Whenever you mention you're an ag major, people picture ripped blue jeans, rugged old co-op shirt and filthy boots. Believe it or not, we too enjoy Nike shorts and tennis shoes. Agriculture has such a bad stigma of being grungy and dirty. As an agricultural communications and journalism major, I personally know appearance is EVERYTHING. How people perceive you can make OR break relationships in the agricultural world.
4. We're Not All Going To Be Vets
No grandma, I'm not going to school to be a vet. Sorry.
One of my BIGGEST pet peeves is when people assume you're going to be a vet since you're an ag major... annnnnd if you aren't you're going to be a poor farmer. In reality, jobs in the agricultural field are thriving (and not just vet ones). There are multiple jobs that pay as much as, or more than what vets makes (and should we mention less school?).
5. It's A Small World After All
The agricultural world is CRAZY small. Everybody knows everybody. Ask anyone in the major, you always find a link to back home. Here's a tip to future ag majors — sit down in class and ask a simple question to the person next to you, "where are you from." I absolutely guarantee you'll find a connection with that person... or through somebody... and the next thing you know you're roommates and best of friends. By saying that, you have to be VERY careful not to burn bridges... because after all, the agricultural industry is a small world after all.
