The beauty of many universities is the diversity of study paths that students can choose to take.
The list of majors available at UW is extensive and covers a wide range of topics, which is a valuable aspect to have in a rural state like Wyoming in which this schooling might be inaccessible otherwise.
Despite the importance of offering numerous options for majors, the argument that certain study paths are superior to others is heard consistently.
Time and time again, I have heard people say that students majoring in subjects such as art or history will never contribute as much to society as those who study in fields such as engineering or computer science.
We need to stop basing the value of one’s chosen career path on how much money they will make after graduation.
This ideal completely belittles all the hard work that students put into their majors to one day achieve their dreams. Imagine putting all your efforts into your schoolwork, only to hear over and over again that you won’t make any money and you should just pick a different major.
It must be understood that each individual student has interests and talents that are specific to them. What excites the future doctor might bore the future sociologist and vice versa.
It is unrealistic to assume that all students have the desire to study the same fields.
For example, I, a journalist, have a close friend who is a pharmacist. My brain has never done well with math and science and I physically recoiled whenever I looked at her homework and how easily she completed it.
It was similar for her – although she is a math whiz, her jaw dropped whenever she saw how quickly I can write and edit a paper. We were both so interested by the differences in our skills and we knew that we had each picked the perfect major.
These circumstances are not unique to me and my friend. Every student will excel in certain subjects and struggle in others. No one should have to pursue a major that they strongly dislike just because of future salary.
Without career diversity, the world would be a very different – and much more boring – place. We all bring something unique to society and this would not be possible if all universities offered only the highest paying majors.
I would never argue the importance of all majors in the healthcare and engineering fields. We could not continue as a society without the amazing people that work in these areas.
With that being said, there must also be recognition for those working in other industries.
We need doctors. We need pharmacists. We need engineers. We need scientists. But we also need artists. We need historians. We need social workers. We need teachers.
It’s time we stop looking down on those who pick lower-paying majors and start uplifting them. All forms of knowledge are powerful and cannot be measured by the sum of money that they will generate.
