Does Your Major Really Matter?
With higher education being so costly and so challenging, there is enormous pressure on students when choosing their major. Every student shares a common goal of earning a degree that will lead them to a successful and meaningful career. With over 100 majors to choose from, there is a path that is right for every Marquette student. For some students, they pick a major their senior year of high school and stick to it until graduation. Others enter college undecided and spend their first year(s) exploring their options. Others enter college thinking they’re sure of their major and end up finding themselves on an entirely different path than they’d planned. While the freedom to enter so many different disciplines is ultimately a blessing, it is easy to feel overwhelmed through the process.
When I was a freshman, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I explored advertising, psychology, even computer science. I watched my peers excelling in the “hard” majors, and I was constantly stressed that I wasn’t in the same place. I spent an extensive amount of time googling variations of “best majors to find a job”, and constantly felt discouraged by what I read. The internet will essentially tell you to choose a STEM major that will make you a lot of money when in truth, there’s so much more out there.
No matter what degree you’re earning, there are jobs out there. If that wasn’t the case, Marquette wouldn’t create an entire department for that field of study. However, what nobody really tells you is that it doesn’t actually matter! Say you find yourself in junior standing, working towards a career path you are no longer interested in. That puts you alongside millions of others who have ended up in jobs that did not directly pertain to their degree! In fact, only 27% of college graduates are in jobs that even relate to their major (Forbes). Of course the goal is to learn things in school that will propel you in your future endeavors, however, it is important to remember that there are so many routes to every destination. If a major feels right, that is enough. If you have concerns beyond that, consider picking up a minor or exploring some extracurriculars. Regardless of your major, the skills you gain while at Marquette will set you up for success, whatever that may mean to you.
