Being an English major, I’ve heard my fair share of slights at the department, and snide comments about our inability to find jobs. Well, not only do 70 percent of college students not find work in their area of study, but also jobs in the humanities are on the rise annually. Not to mention that the fields experiencing a surge in employment, at present, will one day be flooded with prospective employees. There’s a fluctuation at play, so one degree shouldn’t take precedence over another.
The most important aspect of attending higher education is the worthwhile experience it provides. Reasons for going to college have been replaced by the drive for making money and finding work. This attitude makes it possible for particular departments to be respected more than others because of the likelihood of graduating and finding employment.
All of the infighting amongst students is pointless and a waste of time. Certainly arguments could be made against or for any degree, but those arguments go nowhere and solve nothing. The more involved one becomes in his or her pursuits, the greater chance he or she stands at making a livelihood through them. Joining clubs related to one’s major, doing well in the classes and becoming part of the department fraternity, talking to professors, making friends with peers and going to department events can be way more beneficial for an art major than the simple fact that fields in STEM currently have employment opportunity.
Even those in humanistic fields can learn how to relate better to those at the opposite end of the spectrum, in the more “practical” fields.
I’m looking at English majors and science majors. With the relocating of classes, and the inevitable closing of buildings, departments are going to be forced to interact in ways they have never before. And science should definitely be valued by anyone who values critical thinking and fights against illiteracy, as science illiteracy is rampant. If departments could cooperate and collaborate, I’m certain so much good for everyone, especially the university, will come about.
Look at first-year and second-year students. They are required to test the academic waters and take classes in a variety of disciplines, attempting to find what they’ll eventually study. Even students further along in their education, like myself, have classes outside our primary department. My minor is anthropology, so having those classes break up my mostly English-based schedule is refreshing.
From being involved in clubs, I’ve come to meet friends in other departments and be influenced by their thoughts and actions, which were partly influenced by their studies. We all get along perfectly and create new and novel experiences. The university already takes steps in this direction, with pairing majors and minors, but a more developed cooperation between every department will eliminate this attitude of faux-superiority.
