My gift to you today is a lesson in financial self-sufficiency from someone completely dependent on parents. But every shrink says knowing you have a problem is the first step, so bear with me. Today I ask, in the economics of education, does your major reflect something about your socioeconomic class, present and future?
Saying I'm financially dependent on my parents for my college education puts me among a majority of students. A recent conversation with friends, however, showed just how dependent I am. For instance, my parents encouraged my "academic exploration" since my first days at the University. Always quick to assure me that I don't have to stock up on too many courses in one field or suggest I try some obscure language, I pretty much have unlimited possibilities. At this point, I've already taken classes in two languages and countless other fields. I'm the kind of person who actively mourns the absence of a general degree in "The Liberal Arts."
I have also taken classes at times when other students are vegging out on the couch or curing cancer in a third-world country. Hello, January Term. I participated one winter, not because I needed the credits to graduate or because the class was essential for my major, but because I was bored sitting at home. Talk about an expensive hobby. Still, my parents willingly paid for me to return to school early and satiate my desire for something to do while others were told to "read a book or something."
It goes without saying that I am eternally grateful to my parents for the freedom and flexibility they have provided me. But as you learn early on in introductory economics, there is no such thing as a free sociology class. This begs the question: What is the cost of my actions?
First, there is the oft-ridiculed "cost" of being a humanities major. As an English and history double major - though currently undeclared - I've heard my fair share of jokes about the practicality of my chosen disciplines. "Those who study English teach high school English," they say. "Have fun grading collages on 'The Scarlet Letter' for the rest of your life." My chances with history appear equally bleak. Apparently those who major in history become street corner musicians. This troubles me because I have no discernible musical talent. To these taunts I reply, "My cousin majored in English and now writes blockbuster films ('The Hangover' - ever heard of it?) from the comfort of his sweet Beverley Hills pad." And history, higher on the totem pole than English, but only slightly, must have some lucrative, albeit limited, avenues ... right? "Law school?" I manage to squeak out.
Joking aside, one must wonder, is there some truth to these claims? Word on the street is that if you're in the Engineering or Commerce Schools, you're "set" for life.
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