I don't know about the rest of the world, but I've always been told that college is a time of exploration. No, I don't mean sexual or social or spiritual exploration (though all those are valid as well), but I mean in terms of academics and interest. I guarantee the percentage of people who begin college thinking they'll study one thing and actually stick with it is relatively slim. Personally, I started college thinking I'd be a Psychology major but really wanted to take Communication classes. Here I am, about to start my third year, and I'm a declared Communication major with a double minor in Psychology and Art History. I explored plenty, and that's where I ended up.
To some people, the three departments I've chosen to dedicate myself to seem discombobulated. Recently, I've had one person ask me if my plan was to teach, probably because he had no idea what someone with my degree is capable of doing. Other people ask about the jobs I find myself most drawn to when thinking of the future and they laugh because, to them, these options sound so distant from one another they can't fathom that I have any genuine idea of what I want to do.
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Let me break this down for you.
1. Communication courses center around media.
I've taken courses in content production, analysis, distribution, and audience reception. I've studied public relations, media law, media ethics, film theory, and even the representation of women and minority within the media. So, basically, I study the one thing almost every individual consumes more than anything else.
2. Psychology deals, obviously, with the human mind.
This branches from development, to neuroscience, to mental illness, to learning disabilities, to social interactions, and everything else. Psych classes deal with an innumerable amount of things relating to the human existence which makes it incredibly useful in a multitude of contexts. Beyond that, I am familiar with statistics and running experiments as well as the format required for creating a psychological study.
3. Some may see Art History as useless.
In fact, I've had others my age tell me flat out that it's a waste of time. Okay, well those people are ignorant. Humanity expresses itself in just a handful of long-lasting ways and art is one of the most expressive of all. Studying the history of art as well as how to perceive and analyze it has given me such incredible insight, not just into the lives and thoughts of people from every time period and geographic location possible, but also into how all of those individuals and cultures are interconnected despite their geographic separation. It's honestly incredible and taking a class that can blow your mind like that is anything but a waste of time. Plus, if I ever wanted to work in any sort of art-related field, I'm kind of set in terms of knowledge.
So maybe my interests in art museums and television production and marketing all seem really different to others. Maybe it sounds like I have no idea what I like or what I want to do. But, if you really think about it, at the core of my education, I study people and the things we utilize and produce. With my degree, I can work in any job within the Communication field (which, let me tell you, is an abundance of opportunities) and I'll even be qualified to work in the art industry.
My degree may sound vague to you, but that does not mean, in any way, that I am lost. Even if someone else's path doesn't seem clear to you, they probably know exactly what they're doing. But, guess what? It's not really any of your business.
