Choosing a major is probably one of the hardest decisions you have to make in college, and being a very indecisive person myself, I had a really hard time. After months of looking through all of the majors offered at the schools I was applying to, I finally decided on telecommunications. Once I made this decision, I felt extremely happy and was proud of myself, because I’d found a major that I really liked and was passionate about. However, this feeling only lasted for a month, as I had yet to discover the stigma that surrounds this career path.
Growing up with two parents who are engineers, I felt as though I had to follow their footsteps in order to make them proud. It might all be in my head, but I often felt judged by others asking questions like, “What job would you have with that major?” Although not everyone asked in a demeaning way, I always felt really frustrated trying to explain what communications was and why I had chosen to major in it. I almost felt as though I had to excuse myself every time someone asked me about this topic.
I’ve recently come to a conclusion that it’s all about balance. Not everyone was born to be an engineer or a doctor, and in order for the world to function, there needs to be people for everything. How would we be aware of all the things going on around the world if it weren’t for communicators? Every major is important, and I don’t think it’s ok to shame others. Obviously not every class is going to have the same level of difficulty, but every major has its own challenges and we should respect them for what they are. Your true level of intelligence isn’t measured by what classes you take or even what grades you get, but by how you carry yourself and what you share with the world. In today’s society, it would be wrong to say that a pre-med major is smarter than a communications major simply because of what career path they chose. People need to stop shaming other majors and just focus on their own future.
Throughout my freshman year of college, I’d constantly hear people making jokes about easy majors like communications, and I always felt like I was wasting my time. Why should I be studying something that other people view as a joke and useless? However, as I continued taking communications classes, I became confident that this was the major for me – and I didn’t care what anyone thought about it! I study telecommunications because I like it, not because it’s “easy.” I chose to follow this career path because it’s what makes me happy, and I shouldn’t let the opinions of other people define my future. At this point in my college career, I’m proud to say that I’m a communications major – and I wouldn’t change it for the world.