Whenever I read the “About Me” page on a blog, I always smile when I notice the energy of the author jumping off the screen, passionate about life and his or her interests and goals. I want to catch the “bug” and I subscribe to their posts, eager to absorb their positivity.
But recently, I stumbled upon a blog whose author mentioned having a degree in theology, but feeling it was a pointless degree because she did not want to be a pastor. This made me sad, wondering if perhaps she was experiencing something in life that devalued her achievements or if she was never guided to defend and boast of the skills she acquired in earning her degree.
Then I remembered a man I met on a flight to Atlanta a few years ago. He told me that he earned his master’s degree in puppetry arts. I was intrigued by such a narrow choice of expertise. After talking to him throughout the flight, I learned that his love for puppeteering encouraged him to be the best puppeteer he could be, earning the highest level of education attainable. Did others laugh at him and judge him? Undoubtedly. However, he felt no shame in pursuing a lifelong goal and dream.
These experiences inspired me to think of all the hard-working undergraduate students, disheartened graduates, and fearful stay-at-home and work-at-home moms and dads who want to go to college. When you are in college, you reach a point where most of your peers are on the same track as you, hoping to graduate with the same degree. You are among “your own,” bright-eyed and bushy-tailed hopefuls who see light at the end of the tunnel. But seldom do we prepare for the superficial and harsh preconceived notions about degrees that do not fall under the umbrella of “finance,” “business,” “accounting,” or any other “pragmatic” field. Opinions are thrown at us from ignorant, however innocent people: “What are you going to do with a History degree? Teach?” “Why do you need a master’s degree to become a librarian? I thought they only shelved the books. Aren’t libraries going to disappear soon because of the Internet?”
So to those college students who suddenly feel choked up about picking “the wrong major;” to graduates who have celebrated but now feel panicked in the “Now what do I do?” post-graduate-six-month period; and to the terrified stay-at-home and work-at-home moms and dads who want to go back to college or want to go to college for the first time but don’t know where to start, I say:
DO WHAT YOU LOVE. The amount of pressure placed on college students to decide on their major is excruciatingly burdensome. This weight comes from the dreaded “interrogation” at family reunions, over holidays, and on first dates. Others define us by the path we take in college, sometimes forgetting that many people switch jobs, explore new careers, or choose to stay home after having children. Therefore, it is better to find a major that interests you. For most people, spending 4-6 years in classes that you loathe is impossible. I started my college career in Hospitality, believing that one day, I would be happy working as a Hotel Manager at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. After a few classes, I realized that I hated it. Instead, I was drawn to my English and History classes. I never wanted to miss one. I wrote detailed notes, studied diligently, and sought relationships with my professors. I learned that in life, I wanted my actions to define me: my kindness, my hard work, my positive attitude, and interest in learning and discovering. So why would I make an exception with my degree? I found it contradictory to live my life passionately, yet pursue a degree that bored me to tears. I would do lots of things in life that I did not want to do: pay taxes, scrub the toilet, endure labor contractions, and stand in line at the DMV. I did not want my college experience to be one of those things.
DON’T LET THE PRICE TAG SCARE YOU. I have met a lot of tenth-year college students who never graduated because college was “too expensive.” I quickly learned that this was code for “I did not plan ahead,” “I missed the financial aid deadline,” “I was too lazy to apply for scholarships,” or “I would rather spend my waitressing money on going to Las Vegas this summer than on the Fall semester.” These people dress up their excuses in a bane for student loans. While I understand this need for freedom from debt, I also understand the shackles of minimum wage. I think about disciplined students who save every penny and take one class at a time in order to accomplish their goals. I think about the opportunities for loan forgiveness, like Teacher Loan Forgiveness, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and Obama Student Loan Forgiveness. People will take out auto loans on ever-depreciating vehicles and mortgages for homes they can hardly afford, but refuse to invest in their education because of its high ticket. At some point, the bill comes to the table, and you either have the bills or the pennies.
YOU ACQUIRE MORE SKILLS THAN YOU MIGHT REALIZE. I smile when I speak with others about having a History Degree and a Master’s Degree in Library Science because it baffles them. Why would I invest so much time, energy, and money into disciplines that are not booming with jobs? I get a thrill from defending my choices because degrees of these natures required lots of critical thinking skills. During my six years in college, I honed my professional writing, public speaking, and oral presentation skills. I gained experience collaborating with others, both in person and online. I assumed leadership positions in these groups as well as in extra-curricular activities and clubs. By earning a degree, I proved that I could turn in assignments in a timely manner, complete tasks expected of me, think creatively, find balance between professional and social life, be organized, and be self-disciplined for several years. At minimum, these are the skills acquired by college students. I failed to mention acquired grant writing skills (when applying for scholarships and financial aid), technological skills (using a computer and its various programs to type papers, create slideshow presentations, format spreadsheets, and use social media), understanding target audiences (professors, students, parents, friends, and other people I needed to please throughout college), and countless other skills. The list goes on and on IF AND ONLY IF you feel confident to defend yourself. If you believe that these skills were among many valuable treasures you took from your college experience, you can sell a puppetry arts degree to a potential employer and ice to an eskimo. Attitude and perspective is CRUCIAL.
DON’T BE DISCOURAGED BY THE 4-YEAR GRADUATE. This past June, my brother graduated with his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Entrepreneurship. He has been in and out of college since 2004. Pride and joy filled my heart on his graduation day because he never gave up. “Taking a semester off” never meant quitting. Similarly, my college classmate earned his Bachelor’s Degree in 1986 and went back to school in 2012 to earn his Master’s Degree in Public Administration. As the Director of Public Transportation at our university, he knew that other commitments to his family, his job, and his Church justified taking one class at a time. These people amaze me because they model the tortoise in the “Tortoise and the Hare” fable. Slow and steady DOES win the race if you don’t stop.
FIND MENTORS. I met many amazing, inspiring people in college who enriched my experience, either challenging me to be better or encouraging me to keep going. Some people helped me avoid certain mistakes or find golden opportunities. Never be afraid to ask for help or ask for advice. I will never forget the day I asked a girl in my history class where I could find the bathroom, which quickly led to a conversation about Library and Information Science, changing my life forever.
I would be happy to offer more guidance and tips! Leave a comment or send me an email (email found on my Work with Me page). At very least, I hope I have encouraged you to remember that your degree, your goals, your ambition, and your ideas have worth. They mean something.
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