If you’re reading this article, you know the feeling.
That feeling when you excitedly share your major and career goals with someone, hoping for some sort of mutual response, and you hear one of the following:
“Oh, that’s nice.”
“It’s about doing something that makes you happy, right?.”
“But you have so much potential, why don’t you consider [enter literally any medical profession here]?”
If these comments irritate you like they do me, you know exactly what it’s like to be considered a student with a “blow-off” major.
Growing up, I always did well in school and because of that it was assumed that I was automatically going into the medical field. Because only people who did well in high school can be doctors, right? We save those who didn’t make the cut for these said “blow-off” majors?
Now, just to clarify, blow-off majors are typically labeled as such within non-STEM fields: communication, fine arts, foreign language, and my personal favorite, education, just to name a few. The ironic thing is that students who choose “blow-off” majors do not see them as such until other people point it out.
“Those who can’t do, teach.”
“Teachers are glorified babysitters that get summers off, what a dream.”
These are all comments received by either myself or other students at CMU, which shows how people even in our community are quick to make assumptions about the value of career goals of college students. In my opinion, it’s all due to a lack of misunderstanding.
No, I didn’t choose my major because I’m “undecided.” And no, I’m not trying to take the easy way out, and, contrary to your presuppositions, I actually do care about my future.
I’m aware that other professions make more money, please stop reminding me.
I don’t care about money if having less of it means that I get to wake up every day and go to a job that I absolutely love. For me, it’s the outcome that matters rather than the income.
By telling you about my career choice, I am sharing a huge part of my life with you. It’s obvious that I’ve clearly decided on pursuing it and there is nothing that your ignorant comments can do to change that. We’re all made up of different passions and interests and me finding mine in a different place than where you found yours means nothing.
On a brighter note, I believe that today’s millennials are a lot more empathetic toward this issue. Because of this, there is a great sense of pride growing in being a part of underrepresented major. Instead of competing to top one another and being just a name in a crowd, we, the “blow-off majors,” are a collective group of individuals that encourage each other to aim higher and achieve more.
In other words,
Yes, this is my major.
And it is not a “blow-off.”