The Writer’s Coin

This article over at Brip Blap called “8 steps to a six figure career” has me thinking about my own decisions about choosing a major (he warns readers: Don’t major in English.)

Now, I majored in Communications and at the last minute added a double major in Philosophy because I had taken so many classes it was silly not to. These degrees are just as worthless as English, according to Brip Blap’s guide. Suffice to say I am NOT making six figures.

I have a friend at work that majored in English and we talk about this subject quite a bit. Our friends who majored in Economics or Business or Finance are making much better money than we are.

So what would I major in if I were to go back and do it all over again?

There are two parts of me that have different answers to the questions. The bitter, greedy part of me doesn’t waver: Finance or Economics. Economics can actually be pretty interesting and if you want to eventually start your own business it’s only going to help with that enterprise. I would be making more money and would be able to travel more than I do now. I’d probably be better dressed too. Etc. etc. I could always write and read and “pick up” a creative hobby on the side, in my spare time without wasting a degree on it.
The pure, goodhearted, granola cruncher in me says, No, I wouldn’t change a thing. I wouldn’t be who I am today without choosing my degrees (MA in Writing to top it all off). And to answer a common argument for the fancier degree, can’t I “pick up” business, finance, or whatever “on the side” of my English/Communications job? Won’t I have more free time than I would at the other job?

It’s an interesting debate. I know that for me, I just wasn’t ready for business or finance or any of that stuff at age 17. I loathed it. If I would have majored in those fields, knowing full well how much a hated them, might have set a bad precedent for the rest of my life. Would I hate the job I wound up with (never mind that I hate my job now, which is neither here nor there)?

I came to a place in my life where I naturally gravitated to business and finance. I now enjoy talking and writing about them. I didn’t force something I disliked and if I would’ve done that I think I would be a different person today, maybe with less charm and my good looks may even have been affected.

So no, I’m going to stick it out. I choose not to go back and change the past, at least not in this case.

Tags: choosing a major, six figures