It would be difficult to quantify the amount of people I have met who absolutely despise their majors. I cannot help but find this to be a curious context — how can one unload copious amounts of money each year into an institution that gives them nothing but misery in return?
The intent behind many students’ selection of major is often simple but nonsensical. Sure, a radiologist can yield 10 times the median salary of a social worker, but I doubt I have to state that the correlation between cash and contentment is not concrete.
I cannot help but single out the natural sciences where my biology, chemistry and integrative neuroscience major friends’ querulous remarks help formalize this list of most loathed disciplines. Whether the class is organic chemistry, molecular biology or one of the other innumerable amount of pre-med requirements, there is no doubt that the path toward a degree in this field is one filled with adversity and premature gray hairs.
Some may conclude that the temporary pain derived from undergraduate and medical institutions is worth the long-term net return in both salary and the fulfillment of helping others. This is undeniably true if we were willing to concede that the struggle subsides upon graduation.
Unfortunately, it does not. If anything, the induction into practicing medicine is probably when the true challenges begin. Forgive me if a career rooted in the natural sciences sounds like the only target of my scrutiny. A society filled with scientists is imperative and there are obviously plenty of medical students who love science, have zero qualms about pursuing it and excel at it. I support these people entirely.
Beyond medicine, there are hundreds of disciplines that are responsible for forming an emotional burden on the students who study them; it all depends on the individual. However, pressures from external influences cannot go unnoticed here. Whether it is a parent who wants a child who becomes a lawyer, a group of friends who criticize the pursuit of a career in anything other than business or society that deems certain majors more useful than others, many students are steered toward or away from certain fields by predispositions other than their own.
I advise to resist such forces. There is simply too much money, time and effort on the line for people to be studying anything other than what they are passionate about. Would it not be more sensible to thrive in a field that suits your interest rather than saunter through one that you detest? The path may be more difficult, but every step will be insured by the fact that you knowingly made the right personal decision; this will far outweigh the allure of an alternative lucrative endpoint.
We live in a time where the professional possibilities are virtually endless. No longer do doctors and lawyers hold the monopoly on wealth, for money can be obtained through even the most obscure ventures. There are YouTube creators making over six figures by posting videos of cats that garner thousands of viewers and consequently money through the utilization of advertisements. It may be a strange niche, but it is one capable of being filled nevertheless.
Study what excites you. Whether it be the verses of William Shakespeare, the formulas of Isaac Newton or the blueprints of the Wright brothers, all areas and more are capable of accomplishing joyful, intellectual and financial goals. Commit to a field of genuine interest now to eliminate temporary pain, ensure forthcoming pleasure and allow a future version of yourself to look back and say, “Thank you.”
Brian Deinstadt is a junior double-majoring in political science and English.