Choosing a major is one of the most important academic decisions students will make during their time at college. It is also a deeply personal reflection of one’s goals, interests, and identity. My own academic pursuits are, when compared to most Rice students, not exceedingly common. I’m a sophomore English and Hispanic Studies major planning to pursue a minor in the Medical Humanities. I came into Rice knowing I wanted to study literature for a simple and impractical reason: I loved it. In an era when the study of the humanities is frequently categorized as unsustainable and imprudent, I wholeheartedly believe in the importance of my fields of study. I am learning how to understand different cultures, how to communicate, how to think critically, and how to analyze the works of others in order to form my own questions about what it means to be human. I’m not trying to convince everyone to join me in my love of literature. (Well, maybe I am.) But what I am trying to show is that I am passionate about what I am learning. I feel that it is making me a more thoughtful, more creative, and more insightful person. In my opinion, passion is the single most important variable in choosing a major.
“But Miriam, is passion employable?”
I would argue yes and no. Charisma and excitement are resonant qualities easily identified by peers and employers. Passion for a major will likely motivate young people to work harder to grow and to excel in their given field of study. Some students want to join the workforce directly after graduation while others want to pursue graduate or professional education. Regardless of one’s chosen path, a desire to improve and to continue learning will be vital to the success and sustainability of an education and a career.
My passion for literature cannot, however, guarantee employment. I am not learning a technical skill, a trade, or a body of knowledge that is widely sought after by most companies. I do hope to attend professional school, so I understand the cynicism that my next statement might provoke. I don’t believe that employability must be the priority when choosing a major. Should it be considered? Absolutely. But I can’t say that the (im)practicality of that consideration should dictate one’s decision. Instead of deliberating on a specific career, I encourage you to reflect on what skills and knowledge you hope to obtain when considering broad and long-term goals. Will this major improve my ability to think creatively and critically? Will I learn how to work in a group or independently? Will I learn scientific, social, or humanistic approaches to problems? Do I love this field? Do I look forward to the classes for this major? Do I have the capacity to excel in this area? When I answer these questions, I frame them in the context of my broad, long-term goal to be a healthcare professional. My English and Hispanic Studies majors have improved my ability to be critical and creative, often simultaneously. In the seminar-based nature of most of my classes, I listen to the ideas of others in a small group while developing my own independent thoughts. I revel in humanistic ideals while also understanding the cultural and historical contexts that surround the problems of the past and the present. I love what I study and feel that I am improving. I believe that a creative and analytical person who is comfortable working alone or with others and who enjoys listening to others’ narratives is well-suited to the practice of medicine. What I intend to show by sharing my own process of academic discernment is that choosing a major should be a decision that is directed by constant self-reflection and questioning. In my own case, as I have come to understand what I want to study, I have come to understand myself.
When the fears about your future and about your career flood your mind, I hope you remind yourself that your goals and your abilities are not set in stone and that your plans for your career path will not be finite. But your time at Rice will be. So do what you love. Follow the ignition of interest, the passion that draws you to a book, or a seminar, or a lecture. Follow that spark, that soft and flickering golden light that will guide you toward your path. It will never lead you astray.
Miriam Shayeb is a Peer Career Advisor from Will Rice College. She is a sophomore majoring in English and Hispanic Studies and minoring in Medical Humanities.
