My freshman year of high school was the first time that the concept of "college" became less of a concept and more of an eventual reality. It was a time of slacking on Geometry homework in order to make room for dizzying amounts of Google searches, taking random online quizzes to try and pinpoint the ideal campus for myself based on questions like "What's your favorite color?" or "What is your household's average annual income?" However, perhaps the most troubling discovery of all was learning about the dreaded undergraduate major.
As time passed, and the idea of college turned into actually applying to college, I became more and more obsessed with choosing the perfect major to dive into, falling victim to all of the "Top 10 Highest Paying Undergraduate Degree" articles that started popping up all over Facebook and Yahoo News and my email inbox. Pretty soon, I was fully convinced
I wanted to juggle two careers: one as an anesthesiologist, and another as an accountant.
Sometime in between applying to college and actually going to college, I gave up the idea of budding anesthesiologist/accountant and declared creative writing as my major. Despite all of the warnings that come along with pursuing a future that doesn't involve Stoichiometry, I decided to do something crazy: pursue a future (for at least four years) in something I actually love.
When I tell people I'm a creative writing major, I get one of two reactions. People either congratulate me for actually studying what I want to study; or they pause, look at the floor, and ask, "What do you plan on doing with that?"
Though there are some obvious issues with these reactions, they also point out a much bigger issue in regards to how people value education -- even if it's just the label tied to it.
People often feel the need to congratulate others when they pursue a course of study that actually interests them; and, to me, that's problematic.
Why would you choose to study something and potentially even make a life with, a field of study you aren't passionate about? People congratulate other people for sticking to their passion because we live in a society where the work force and higher education system don't value passion over practicality, which leads people to pursue paths that fit the mold of practicality, not passion.
There is also a stigma surrounding less conventionally practical majors, which suggests that only engineers have a job in their future. Is it harder for an aspiring writer to get a job than a chemical engineer to get a job?
Absolutely. Is it impossible for an aspiring writer to get a job? Absolutely not.
Is it possible for a chemical engineer to not get a job? Absolutely.
Having a job is an unarguably important part of life, but the socially constructed idea that some jobs are inherently more valuable than others greatly contributes to the "practicality over passion" culture our society has developed.
As someone who has been on the receiving end of socially constructed stereotypes about jobs and education, I know the impact this culture can have.
I've tried to trick myself into being interested in other fields in order to follow practicality standards. I've questioned whether or not it's worth trying to do what I'm passionate about.
Value is not a black and white condition.
It works on a sliding scale and is relative to a person's desires, strengths and weaknesses. When societal norms tell people what is valuable, the purpose and meaning behind value is violated. And with regards to education and the work force, when society tells people what is valuable, it's actually telling people what is easy - and that's selling everybody short.
Carly Berndt
berndtcn@miamioh.edu