Is it really important to study what you want in college or study something that will provide stable financial standings in the long run?

10 years from now, where do you see yourself? Realistically?

Not to say that English majors don’t get lucrative jobs outside of their field of study, it just might make more sense to go into your first semester with an open mind. Sign up for an array of classes and see what intrigues you. You never know what could be your calling. I changed my major the middle of my junior year from Biology/Pre-Med to Finance/Economics. I realized that I was not going to get into med school and that I really enjoyed learning about the markets and was way better at economics than I was with organic chemistry :) Sometimes, you’ll know right away – and that’s great, sometimes you have to try new things – that is what college is all about, right?

However, in this competitive job market, I would suggest choosing a business school major that you enjoy along with a major (or minor) that you love. A psychology degree is on the same level as an English degree. Unless you pursue that path and end up as a psychiatrist/licensed therapist.  If you enjoy writing, maybe check out some entry level marketing classes. I don’t think you should pose the question as what you want vs what will create a stable financial future in the long run. You can join numerous clubs to dig into what it is that you “adore.”

And college is an ever changing moment in your life, you truly learn what you want, what you like, and what other options there are out in the world as far as careers go. You have plenty of time to decide and enjoy college for what it is – the best four years of your life!

Hi Valerie, wonderful debate question! How to answer this...you can major in what you love and strategically work to make it into a career. Another option would be to major in something with a better success rate for employment like Business, Management, Leadership, *Communications (this major would probably be the closest to what you would enjoy if you don't pick creative writing ),or Project Management and then minor in what you love. You can also make your General Education Core classes and electives as writing oriented as you can. Or you can do the opposite, major in what you love and minor in something more employable. If you do the latter, I would recommend (either way really) doing internships and work experience in practical areas to get on your resume. Most of the time the most important combo is a degree + relevant experience to land a job. For example, I would decide now, if you were to major in creative writing and couldn't land a job with it (at least right away,) what would you want to do in the mean time to pay the bills...customer service, sales, ...? Pick a secondary career path that you can gain experience in, with room to grow, in a company you would enjoy working for. This way no matter how long it takes you to make a career out of what you love, you are paying the bills in style with your backup career! Try not to jump around in lines of work, like try not to go from food service to clothing sales, to product sales, etc. Try to build some work equity somewhere so that maybe an opportunity will arise within that company to allow you to do what you love. For example, say you choose to work for a company that is considered a "Best Company to Work For" and you are doing something like sales rep. Over time, an opportunity may arise for a creative writer/marketing/advertising/communications within the company and since they already know you, you would have a great shot to transition over. Hopefully this was helpful.

You asked a very important question. I would like to present two perspectives. From my years in Human Resources and College Recruiting, I think that these are very important to read and consider as you relate to your own goals and aspirations.

Should You Go To College

https://medium.com/the-mission/high-school-is-over-should-you-go-to-college-b5b6db6f6712

My Biggest Regret: Going to College

https://medium.com/the-mission/my-biggest-regret-in-life-going-to-college-ef2068f179cf