Choosing a Major like a Pro (or Not)?
Growing up, we all had ideas about what we’d be when we grew up. For me, it was always changing—first, I wanted to be a pilot, then a teacher, a stewardess, and even a doctor, mostly because those seemed like “cool” jobs at the time.
Now that I’m in my second year of journalism, I’ve realized that choosing a major isn’t as simple as it seems.
Some of my friends have switched majors—one left economics, another switched from business, and one more dropped computer science. The economics major couldn’t stand the math, the business student realized it wasn’t for them, and the computer science student was worried about being a jobless after all.
In journalism, we don’t have finals, but instead, we have biiig final projects that can take months to finish. The catch is that these projects don’t just depend on your knowledge—they rely on other people. You might need to interview people, take their photos, or gather public opinions. You also have to be comfortable with technology and, sometimes, spend a huge amount of money to get things done right. Journalism requires you to be outgoing, flexible, and have a broad understanding of a lot of topics. It’s a lot of work, but that’s what makes it interesting.
We have this amazing professor, Fred Brock, who teaches our reporting class (JOUR 205) and I’m his protégé. He’s done it all—worked as a journalist at the WSJ and NY Times, written books, and even got stuck in an elevator with Nixon, got kissed by Madonna. But even with all his success, he still has some regrets about his career.
One of my work supervisors has a journalism degree from UofA, but now works in a tech department. Does it mean that whole 4 years were for nothing?
Sometimes, people without a degree can end up excelling in fields that people with degrees pursue.
And believe me, this so-called networking thing, a.k.a. tanish-bilish in Uzbek, matters literally everywhere. If you know people, you know people.
After all, choosing a profession is a big deal. But if you’re not feeling it, just drop out and hustle.
@withmohinur
Growing up, we all had ideas about what we’d be when we grew up. For me, it was always changing—first, I wanted to be a pilot, then a teacher, a stewardess, and even a doctor, mostly because those seemed like “cool” jobs at the time.
Now that I’m in my second year of journalism, I’ve realized that choosing a major isn’t as simple as it seems.
Some of my friends have switched majors—one left economics, another switched from business, and one more dropped computer science. The economics major couldn’t stand the math, the business student realized it wasn’t for them, and the computer science student was worried about being a jobless after all.
In journalism, we don’t have finals, but instead, we have biiig final projects that can take months to finish. The catch is that these projects don’t just depend on your knowledge—they rely on other people. You might need to interview people, take their photos, or gather public opinions. You also have to be comfortable with technology and, sometimes, spend a huge amount of money to get things done right. Journalism requires you to be outgoing, flexible, and have a broad understanding of a lot of topics. It’s a lot of work, but that’s what makes it interesting.
We have this amazing professor, Fred Brock, who teaches our reporting class (JOUR 205) and I’m his protégé. He’s done it all—worked as a journalist at the WSJ and NY Times, written books, and even got stuck in an elevator with Nixon, got kissed by Madonna. But even with all his success, he still has some regrets about his career.
One of my work supervisors has a journalism degree from UofA, but now works in a tech department. Does it mean that whole 4 years were for nothing?
Sometimes, people without a degree can end up excelling in fields that people with degrees pursue.
And believe me, this so-called networking thing, a.k.a. tanish-bilish in Uzbek, matters literally everywhere. If you know people, you know people.
After all, choosing a profession is a big deal. But if you’re not feeling it, just drop out and hustle.
@withmohinur