This past week, I was faced with a dilemma. I decided to sign on to my school's portal (something I rarely do throughout the summer) just to make sure all my classes and housing were correct. I just about had a heart attack when I saw that only four out of my six classes I'd registered for were on the portal! Surely something was wrong.
When I called the registrar at my school, I was told that my two classes had been cancelled. I was more than a little annoyed. Why had no one told us that the classes were cancelled? Considering I am entering my junior year, and had planned on starting a new major, I was concerned. I was previously a communications major and was pretty close to finishing it. So, in a split second, I went from a journalism major, back to a communications major. At first, I was slightly miffed. But, I've come to the conclusion that your major, in hindsight, isn't all that important.
Your major is not your label and it does not define how smart, capable, or successful you will be. An English major is just as smart as a physics major, and anengineering major is no better than a psychology major. Honestly, from what I can conclude, the only thing your major can say about someone is where their interests are and what subjects they enjoy to learn about. It has no bearing on who you are or what you'll become.
Your major is your specialization. It will give you skills that you can apply to your prospective careers. However, just because you are an English major does not mean you'll be the author of the next New York Time's best seller. Just because you are a business major does not mean you'll be the next wolf of Wall Street. Having a liberal arts education means that you can take the skills you learn in your curriculum and apply them to any field.
For example, this summer, I took a marketing internship. I know absolutely nothing about marketing or business. But, I was able to use my knowledge of social media, writing, and how to successfully convey messages to different demographics to be a productive and successful addition to the team I was a part of. The skills you learn in your major allow you to bring new and innovative ideas to whatever professional field you choose to enter.
So, while taking a Qualitative Research in Communications class instead of taking the course I'd originally signed up for does not sound all that appealing, I know that it isn't the end of the world. In 10 years I could be an journalist, a marketing executive, a publisher, or even a teacher, and none of the frustration I felt the other day matter because I will still be able to achieve what I'd like to. And, if I have to, there is always grad school.
