Typically, when I tell people that I am a Philosophy major, I either get told, “Oh I took a Philosophy class once!” or asked, “So what are you going to do after?” I have lost count of the amount of times that I have heard or read that Philosophy is a useless and impractical major. I can recall a time in my first year, before I even knew what Philosophy was exactly, when I heard a group of classmates in a Political Science class chatting about what they thought the most useless, but difficult major is. The answer? Philosophy.
On behalf of all Arts and Humanities students, we get it. We’ve heard it a million times. But firstly, let’s be realistic, the job market is not easy for many university graduates at the moment. So in the meantime, you might as well study something that is thought provoking in someway and doesn’t make you hate your life. Secondly, there are a lot of false beliefs about the impracticality of a Philosophy major that have actually been shown not to be true. But anyway, that’s another story.
Besides the regular judgement and confused questions Philosophy students receive, I love being a Philosophy major.
I have had great professors in various departments, but my Philosophy professors are some of the most kind, personable, and helpful professors I’ve ever had. I can send a Philosophy professor an essay of mine two days before the due date, and they will read it, offer suggestions, and even edit it themselves. And of course, the small class sizes are one of the reasons why they are able to be so helpful. I love being a part of such a big school but still getting to enjoy the perks of small class sizes. I remember one time in a third year Ethics class, I received an unexpected poor grade on a quiz and was a bit perturbed. Later on that day, I was chatting with the professor who teaches that class through email, and he said, “I noticed you looked a bit upset after receiving your quiz mark back today. You are a good student and if you ever need help, please come and talk to me.” That is one of my experiences with a Philosophy professor that will stay with me. In Philosophy, I don’t feel like just another student number.
As a Philosophy student, most of your time is spent analyzing and reflecting on ideas and concepts that are often difficult to grasp, and also formulating arguments, either defending and/or objecting to other arguments. Doing so has taught me critical thinking, analytical, problem solving, and communication skills. Yup. We actually learn stuff! Shocking right?
Philosophy has made me a more naturally curious person. I have learned to see things from multiple perspectives. It makes me think about the world and question everything around me (and I don’t even realize it sometimes). It has even challenged my own beliefs. What do I believe in? Why do I believe in the things I believe in?
Contrary to what many think about Philosophy, it is not impractical or useless just because there isn’t a career named “Philosophy.” Philosophy is a part of my life even when I am not writing an essay or studying for an exam. And I hope I never stop wondering.