The economy, picking a career

Are you undeclared? Unsure if your major is right for you?  Well consider this: In this new day and age, our world and our society are changing quickly. Attending college is a big step, but not as big as it used to be. Now, it’s all about graduate degrees, Ph.D.s and who ya know. However, it starts with declaring a major. This is where we lay a basic foundation and branch out from there. The question is how do you know which major is right for you? More importantly, which major will further you the most in your career?
“The 10 Worst College Majors,” an Oct. 11, 2012, article in Forbes Magazine, discusses the top 10 majors that are the least successful, or highest in unemployment. Most of us have heard similar advice ­— advice to “do what you like to do” and “find your passion.” It is not useful to pursue an interest if it won’t get you anywhere. I am not arguing that money and success is everything. The purpose of college, however, is to get a job that will support your living. If your future career cannot do that, then it may not be a good choice.

The article bluntly states: “While the arts may be good for the soul, artistic majors are terrible for the bank account.”

Our society has become engulfed in technology and business, leaving the non-technical majors — such as anthropology, fine arts and social sciences — to suffer.  
“What society rewards in economic terms has moved away from the softer majors. It’s become about how much math you do,” said Anthony Carnevale, Ph.D., director of Georgetown University’s Center on Education in the Workforce.

The article also points out that the success of art and the success of the economy directly relate. This makes complete sense. If the economy is in a good state, art sales increase. If, however, we’re going through a recession, people aren’t going to want to buy art because it’s not necessary. Artsy majors aren’t on the forefront of being vital to the success of our society.

I do realize that without creativity and artists, we wouldn’t have things like music, paintings or fashion. In a desperate world, such as we live in today, these are not as important.

However, this isn’t about how art sucks. This is supposed to make you think about what you need to study in order to continue living comfortably. We don’t want to live off our parents for the rest of our lives. In order to do this we need to set ourselves up for success.

It starts with identifying your long-term goals. Whether they’re accumulating riches or fulfilling your interests, the bottom line is to consider both.

It would be a terrible waste of money to attend a college that gave you nothing to work with in the future. Who knows, the times may change and a new cycle of jobs may become more successful than others. For right now though, the only thing you can do is prepare as much as you can.

Again, I’m not saying money is everything and financial success will give you complete happiness, but be reasonable. You have to take into account why you are in college. Find something you like to do, home in on it, and evaluate which majors best fit your interest and will be successful at the same time.

 
Masami Wadama is a sophomore in business marketing. The opinions expressed in her columns do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Barometer staff. Wadama can be reached at forum@dailybarometer.com.