Don't Be a Fool...Stay In School

Believe it or not being a liberal arts major means you
can still do very well in life.

When I first came to school I wanted to study nursing.  I wanted to help people, save the world, and all that jazz.  I was sure that that was the path that I was meant to take in life.  Then, in my first semester at university, I met organic chemistry.  It was that day that I knew medicine wasn't for me.


I spent the next couple of years bouncing between different majors, but never really committing to anything.  It wasn't until a stint in France that I found a true passion in my life: French.  The problem was convincing my parents that this was the right way to go.  I gave a pretty good argument, and with a little bit of compromise, I became a French major with a minor in business.  Since that day life has been good.


It can sometimes feel daunting studying the arts at a place like BYU.  We study at a place known for a top business school, a great PR program, a stellar advertising major, and one of the better nursing programs in the country.  When I discuss my major with others I'm often asked if my plan is to teach French (the answer is no).  I never really felt down on myself for studying what I study, but I often felt like I might not go places like the business and communication folks.  Then Professor Cropper sent me an email with an article attached that helped me change my future outlook on life.  


Did you know that 40% of the people running Fortune 500 companies are liberal art majors?!  I didn't.  Here's a quote from the article:


"It is true that humanities study, unlike technical training in,...prepares students not for any specific occupation, but for an unpredictable variety of occupations...[As] many before us have rightly pointed out, in an unpredictable marketplace this kind of versatility is actually an advantage."


The article (found here) is a short good read.  It links up to a paper (found here) written by some people at Georgetown that talk about the advantages of getting a bachelors degree, as well as the advantage in certain areas of study.  And for those of you who aren't sure if college is worth it, check out this article (found here) from the New York Times that talks about how getting a college degree still pays off.


I hope everyone is getting settled into school, and wish you all the best of luck this semester!


Source: The Humanities Aren't Totally Useless After All (link)