My best friend and I are no more. We fought and now we have gone our seperate ways. The fight was over something stupid and I still can't comprehend it. Our friendship ended because I got into my dream college and am doing my dream major. I have never looked down on her in my life. I think she is brilliant and can change the worl. However, she is bitter because she stayed in our small rural town and went to community college this year.
I can't help but think, "Your grades were better so if you wanted to you could have gotten in a great school." But she just stays angry. Maybe I should start from the beggining.
I have always been a smart, but bored student. Because I was bored I would often neglect my homework an studies. In ninth grade I had a 1.9 GPA, but by the time I graduated I pulled it up to a 2.7, just for a chance to get into my dream college.
Stephens College in Columbia, MO is a highly respectable college. It was the first college establish west of the Mississippi and has always been a womens college. It is in the top ten of the nation, ranking just after Yale in 2006 according to the Prinston Review. It has been my dream to go here.
My friend (we'll call her Brie) has always done well in school an was going to go off to Chicago or some other big city and study History. However, she is disabled so her parents made her stay home for a year. She has always been a bit bitter towards them for this.
Our validictorian was denied by Yale and here I was going to a school that was just after it in ranking. I would make jokes like "Slackers prevail" and things like that. I always thought Brie knew I was just teasing, but in the end she thought I was bragging.
Making plans for a roadtrip I told her that I couldn't miss all of my classes. At first she agreed, but two days before we were talking.
AshesTree:we'll have the car loaded before my 1 o'clock class. then as soon as I leave my class, which is near a road. I hope in the car and we go. I would leave earlier, but I can't miss the class. The prof said so
Brie: What class is it?
AshesTree” Costume Design (I am a Theatrical Costume Design Major)
Brie: ...
AshesTree: It's my major class so I have to go. I could talk to her tomorrow depending on how far we get tomorrow
Brie: It's just that if we leave after 2 on Friday, there's no way we can get there in one day.
AshesTree: why? It's only 6-8 hours
We continue on for a little while. She starts to get mad and says that I think my school is better and that I think her classes are less important. I would NEVER think that. It all ended with her saying that my major wasn't a real major and that she was better than me.
Sooooo...all of this brings me towards a conclusion. What makes a real major? What career is good and what isn't? I am a freshman in my first semester and I am already designing. I can obviously make a living from it. So you guys tell me. What is a real major?
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I'm an elitist. : p
I think many (not all) liberal arts majors are pretty much useless, mostly because of the excess of graduates in relation to the lack of jobs. If you want a "real job", in my opinion, you should have a technical major, which is more useful, and for which companies are desperate to fill jobs. However, I do understand that these majors are not a good fit for everybody. I just wish more capable people would see how much fun and how interesting they really can be.
I have to disagree with you. Liberal Arts majors tend to be grueling (especially Painting and Creative Writing, which are mine). They are deliberately made so to deter the lazy students.
Before you pull out your pysics textbooks and start thumping them, I think whether or not a major is "real" depends on what you do with it and why you chose it.
I am not going to be a psycho impressionist (I think impressionist art is sick) or a comic book writer. I will be a realistic religious painter like Greg Olsen and Carl Bloch and a writer-with-purpose like C.S. Lewis (whose work I regard as well thought-out, though poorly written). I chose these majors because 1) I want to be a stay-at-home mother and need something to do that leaves me plenty of time for my kids while 2) recognizing that I need to be able to support myself (and others) if I need to. 3) I feel like my contribution to society and individuals will be much more significant than anything I could accomplish as a top-notch CPA. Besides, if I am successful, (which, given the current offerings of art and literature, is not hugely difficult to do), I will probably make more money than you anyway.
Just because someone chooses a less-cognitively-involved major does not mean they are not as smart either. I love advanced mathematics and involved quantum mechanics discussions with my super-brilliant family members. A technical profession, however, would get in the way of my more important goals like raising a family.
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"Smart" is definitely a relative term. I know a great many intelligent people who do a great many unintelligent things.
Just because the classes are difficult doesn't make them useful. Most liberal arts students do not end up doing what their major entails, and those jobs that do exist are rare. Technical majors are much more useful to society.
It's very unlikely that you, as an artist or illustrator, will make more money than me as an engineer. Be realistic, and look at the statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor. It's fine if you want to be a stay-at-home-Mom, but don't be obnoxious and say that being an artist is more useful than inventing alternate energy sources or better methods of farming. Engineers of all kinds are the most useful major to society. Try and argue... but if you like your transportation, communication, gadgets and your food you won't win.
Art and music is nice and all, and definitely necessary to society. We would go crazy without these things. But engineering is more functional and practical.
I never said anything about liberal arts majors being less intelligent. In fact, I lamented intelligent people being wasted on these majors when they could make a larger impact on society being a technical graduate.
I have to say that I disagree. Even though I am studying Theatrical Costume design, does not mean I am stuck in that niche. I can be a tailor, seamstress, fashion designer, etc.
I sometimes think that maybe I shoul have stuck with Linguistics, but I am not at all suited for the classes. Stick me in Japan an ask me to survive for a month sure, I'll come out able to read, write and speak. That's how my brain works. I can assess things quickly in the real world. Throw me in a classroom with a professor, I'll be bored off my head and fail out.
And before you lament, think about the tv shows you watch. Scrubs, House, Gilmore Girls, Gossip girl etc. Every single one of those shows have a costume designer. Every play, movie etc. It's not that rare of a job.
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"I am a Stephens Woman."
http://progressiveu.org/blog/ashestree
I don't watch much TV. You are using the wrong argument on the wrong girl. : p
I agree with you the arts are useful and needed in many ways... people would go crazy without them.... but engineering and sciences are more functional and practical to society. Also, graduates for these majors have less competition for jobs and higher starting salaries.
I have said nothing about intelligence here. Why does everyone assume I think liberal arts majors are dumber? See my comments above/below. Geez.
I didn't say anything about intelligence either. I just stated that brain doesn't work in a traditional school setting way. I stated in another blog that I am brain damaged and it affects how I think and work.
I could never do science in anyway. My brain is not suited towards numbers but rather using my hands.
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"I am a Stephens Woman."
http://progressiveu.org/blog/ashestree
That is part of why I like Clarkson... it is not a traditional engineering school. We lean more towards the practical aspects of technological applications; at least we did before our new President Tony Collins started his little marketing campaign.
I like using my brain to solve the problems presented to society, especially those that can be resolved through the applications of advanced technologies. I haven't put many blogs up about this; mostly because I haven't gained a whole lot of confidence and support. I don't really think that people want to read my ramblings about nuclear space power and how liquid biofuels are economically useless.
You should! I would read them... It would be refreshing actually.
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"Smart" is definitely a relative term. I know a great many intelligent people who do a great many unintelligent things.
I know you've probably heard the "Do what you love" thing a million times over,and it's probably oozing with cheesiness by now. But the funny thing is,nothing could be more true.
If you are doing what you love,how can it not be considered the right thing?
And fake majors? Come on,who's heard of those??
If it's a major,it's a major!
Now the person above me made a good point in that many liberal arts majors do not provide very ample job oppurtunities. For instance I'm really into Sociology and I'm going to double-major in it (along with boradcast journalism) but I know the only profession you can derive from sociology would be to teach it,and that doesn't interest me one bit! So my focus is more on the broadcast thing.
As long as you're applying what you're studying,I see no less value in it than any other major.
And as far as your friend goes,jealousy may be the obvious answer.
But you know what you may not have thought?
It may all be just because she misses you.
You say in your blog that she doesn't think it's a real major,tell her about some of the things you've learned from those classes or what type of career you plan to pursue with that degree.
AND,You say in your blog that you'd never think less of her,well tell her so!
Write her a letter saying how great of a friend she is and include a collage with pictures of you two in it.
Maybe that'll help her realize the ridiculousness of such a fight. :]
Thanks for the advice about my friend, but I'm afraid that I have already done that and she is just very stubborn. I always knew she was. It's sad, but I am moving past it.
As for the major and liberal arts stuff. I ha once thought the same thing. In fact up until last January I was going to major in Linguistics and be a translator. However, I am not a traditional student. I am very fast at learning languages, but I do better in the native speaking country. I do plan to finish studying Japanese and French, but I love to design costumes. And I believe that Entertaining people is important.
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"I am a Stephens Woman."
http://progressiveu.org/blog/ashestree
Hey... as long as you love designing costumes, and you are good enough at it that you can get a job... keep at it. I'm just sad to see people try to follow their "dreams" only to end up in a job that has nothing to do with their majors, and be miserable for the rest of their natural lives.
Friends that can't be happy for you when you are doing something you love and are good at, and are clearly just jealous... well, they really aren't friends at all.
If you love it and it's really what you want to do then pursue. Although some of us Social Science majors might make fun of it, most of us probably couldn't do it.
"Our politics are our deepest forms of expression, they mirror our past experiences and reflect our dreams and aspirations for the future."
I couldn't be a costume designer. I'm creatively challenged when it comes to fabrics and fashion. Kudos to those who can do it successfully, lol. In fact, I am fashion-challenged in general, and you would all probably openly mock my inadequate wardrobe. Ah, the wonderful anonymous power of the internet.
You're welcome. :]
And well,if things don't smooth out all I can say is yeah,to move on to where you need to be.
It already sounds like you're passionate and ambitous in what you do,so full speed ahead!
Thanks a bunch everyone. I am doing what I love and it isn't easy. I sew at least 6 hours a week in class alone. I also design, draw, and learn about make-up and hair. It isn't as easy as one might think. But I love it.
I also chose this because I want to be able to work at home if I want. I plan to own a store online and make costumes for festivals and such.
There are so many television shows out there that costuming is a needed job, yet many don't consider it. (Luckily for me) I think I might eit this and add some of my costumes...
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"I am a Stephens Woman."
http://progressiveu.org/blog/ashestree