Column: Do our majors matter?

Employers look at institutions first

So, you’re visiting a relative you haven’t seen in years and fielding the onslaught of questions they have about the most mundane details of your life, when finally you reach the topic of education. After they tiptoe around the question of whether you’re even going to college, they’ll then feel the most suitable follow-up question would be to inquire what your major is. This is really just a way of asking what you’re interested in now that you’re an adult, because everyone knows what you’re majoring in doesn’t matter.

Take my father for example.  His first job out of college was at IBM. His major? Philosophy. I can’t imagine that the board of directors at IBM were really that interested in his thoughts on Kant and Kierkegaard.

Unless you’re pursuing a vocational degree or one in medicine or astrophysics, what you received your associate’s or standard bachelor’s in is irrelevant. Individual skills you learn in college my be useful and help you get a job, but it seems like employers really just want to know that you pursued education to its completion on a level above that of a high school one.

What is making an impact in the hunt for a job is the reputation of the school you attended. Some students at NIC intend to finish their bachelor’s at a four year school, so they still have a second decision to make.

Certain colleges become officially accredited by the government as a quality higher learning institution, making degrees they award more valuable. This distinction makes them eligible to receive government grants and funding. An organization called the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, which was organized by the U.S. Department of Education, makes the call. (NIC received it’s accreditation from the NWCCU in 1947.)

It’s really a sign of the times when college has become only a vehicle for getting a job, but that just seems to be the reality of the situation. Some maintain that we’ve lost track of why college became important in the first place. They would maintain that college was created with the idea of grooming young people to be productive citizens who could make valuable contributions to society.

My advice? If you’re going to school and haven’t decided what you want to commit the rest of your life to doing yet (which is perfectly understandable), just remember it’s not incredibly important to rush into choosing a major immediately. Instead, use college to explore your own interests and feel around for subjects in which you excel.

Typically, it seems like you have a higher chance of success if the direction you’re taking your education in is at least interesting to you. It should be what you’re passionate about, not the field in which you predict yourself making the most money. I know college can be stressful, but it’s possible to make it an ultimately positive experience.

Opinions expressed in editorial and opinion articles are the views of individual NIC students. These views do not necessarily  reflect the opinions of the Sentinel, North Idaho College, or any other organizations or groups there-in. North Idaho College is not responsible for the accuracy of statements or opinions shared.