<p>I am a newly declared Classics major, and when people ask me “what’s your major”, I typically get the same few responses:</p>
<li> A blank stare followed by an explanation from myself</li>
<li> The ubiquitous retort “What are you going to do with that?” </li>
<li> My all-time favorite reply, “Classic what?” (I guess they were thinking I
was working on a '57 Chevy or something…)</li>
</ol>
<p>After we wade through the whole spiel about what, exactly, a Classics major is and does, I am inevitably treated to varying degress of scorn, skepticism, and/or outright mockery (mostly from engineering majors). I don’t know what it is, but the majority of people I know have not even the foggiest idea of what kind of an education this is, nor do they have any respect at all for the humanistic disciplines in general. All they know and want is money and stultifying security-- they are the least adventurous people I have yet to encounter in my short life. All they know is that it is not “conventional” and so it must not be worth the time and effort of going to college.</p>
<p>Though my parents are extraordinarily supportive of my plans as of now, my mother did at one point express similar frustration and confusion when she asked me one day “why didn’t you just declare a pharmacy major and spare us this trouble” (of figuring out what you’re going to do with your life, etc.) </p>
<p>I am about at the point of just telling people that I’m an English major so they will shut up about this whole thing. I’m tired of justifying my actions to near-strangers who don’t even really understand what I’m all about. Are there any other humanities majors out there, Classics students or otherwise,who have experienced anything remotely similar?</p>
<p>I do know where you're coming from. I'm a history major (European history, which at the university I went to was frighteningly rare), I have several friends who are classics majors, and I've always been interested in classics myself. I get "so what are you going to do with THAT!" all the time, especially when I explain my areas of interest or mention the (ok, sort of obscure) subject of my senior thesis.
I also agree with you wholeheartedly about the cult of money that seems prevalent these days, and is very much in evidence on this board. I understand that money is nice but it isn't the be all and end all of life. I'd rather do something I love than make lots of money. Spoken like a humanities major, I guess.
I'm glad your parents are supportive but expect that it may wax and wane, especially when it comes time to graduate or move on to graduate school. I am a graduate student in IR now, which relates to history but is more marketable, and my mother is pushing me to use it for business, instead of working for a think tank as I would like (and currently am).
Don't say you're an English major, I know that people are ignorant and you hate explaining it but it is better to tell the truth and, god forbid, these people might actually learn something. All I can say is good luck and there are lots of humanities majors out there who go through the same thing.</p>
<p>It's funny because it's kind of opposite in my school. Students who are pursuing more on humanity courses get more respects than ones who are pursuing in science and math, because people hate science and math here:( So I'm definately one of those minority.</p>
<p>But yeah, even though I'm considering to become a chem major, I respect people with any major. Especially classics and history are something I'm not good at, so those majors get a really high respect from me. My school's guidance counselors seem to be telling students to think about the career first and THEN major in that area, but I think that's slightly wrong (not a bad approach, but still). We should be able to learn whatever we want, and then think about the career later.</p>
<p>But we get the last laugh when we crush the GRE Verbal and those Pharmacy majors are whining about their miserable 630!</p>
<p>Fortunately for your parents, you'll have lots of possibilities after your undergrad days are over. Apart from the possibility of teaching at the HS level, if you choose to go to grad school, it will probably be free or nearly so. Virtually all the PhD programs out there provide full support to their students (though of course you'll TA elementary Latin and probably a few recitation sections of Mythology or the like). </p>
<p>Classics majors are also known as one of the most successful groups in Law school admissions. And with your proven language skills there are a variety "public sector" employers who will welcome you.</p>
<p>Be proud - Classics is well known as one of the hardest of all undergraduate majors. By the time you graduate you'll know Latin and Greek, the difference between Plutarch and Suetonius, more military history than those short haired guys in ROTC, and how to cook up a tasty batch of garum.</p>
<p>Just yesterday, I was meeting at the house of a university professor about the tutoring of his daughter. When asked what my major in college will be, I answered that I am considering mathematics and classics. His kid responded, "Classics what? Like literature?" No, as in Latin and Greek, both her father and I responded. I was shocked that she didn't know that, considering her father is the chair of the history department; he should have taught his daughter a little something about Classics by now.</p>
<p>My parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the fact that I am seriously considering Classics; they know I love it, and I should do what I love most. My friends at the university mainly are Classics majors, so they applaude my decision, and students throughout the school in other majors have great respect for it, as well. I receive a different view of my choice from the science, math, and computer science people, though, but that is expected.</p>
<p>By the way, I have heard that medical schools are very receptive to Classics majors who want to turn to medicine. Hmm... I wonder from where all of those esoteric medical terms are derived? ;)</p>
<p>I'm an English and Philosophy (double) major and people always make condescending comments that seem to imply that I'm wasting my money and I'll have to work at McDonald's. Some people seem to think the only subjects worth majoring in are stuff like: engineering, business, etc...</p>
<p>Ummm, yeah. The fastest conversation stopper to the "what's your major?" question is "I'm a Latin and Greek double major" . . . and then the blank stares ensue. I know exactly where you're coming from. When people ask the usual, "Well are you planning to do with that?", I usually launch into a description of how exciting and cool Latin and Greek poetry are, which makes them sorry they asked me in the first place, haha. Rock on, fellow classics majors!</p>
<p>Time will tell ...my S isnt a classics major but was very active in HS latin.... perfect score three years on national latin exam, etc ...and also loves the stuff ...not what you want to do, but he is now at West Point, and they value the language angle ..... considering arabic chinese etc ..obviously not derivatives of Latin, but the language disipline has value..... </p>
<p>Parent speak now -- having said that, do make realistic plans for post undergrad.... grad, school, look for internships in govt or business ... be a full person, Like the Greeks you probably admire</p>
<p>Why are you complaining if you "don't get no respect"?</p>
<p>You use a lot of higher-level words improperly and unnecessarily by the way. Not trying to be rude but you're hurting the image of the other classics majors.</p>
<p>"I don't get no respect" is a well-known phrase originally said by Rodney Dangerfield. I'm sure the OP knows that 'don't get no' is grammatically incorrect.</p>
<p>Drew00, exactly. I was about to point that out.</p>
<p>Herodotus53 is sure to know that that phrase is grammatically incorrect, as all Classics majors must, considering the amount of paradigms and grammatical definitions we have had to pour over for hours upon end.</p>
<p>By the way, I might add that Classics is not completely useless. Latin teachers are in demand - though I can't say the same for teachers of ancient Greek. That is quite a shame, though; I have an affinity for Greek and shy away from Latin. : P</p>
<p>Katharos, how can you be so sure that Herodotus53 is sure to know that? He points out at the beginning that he's a newly declared Classics major.</p>
<p>I know that it's grammatically incorrect and that it's pretty much allowable but I began to think that Heredotus53 thought it was correct when I found higher-level words used unnecessarily and incorrectly in his post.</p>
<p>Anyway, yeah, Latin is a pretty cool language.</p>
<p>As far as security being "stultifying" - I had a similar attitude many years ago. I dropped out of boring school, did my own projects, and had lots of fun doing them. But when the fit really hits the shan, security is very, very nice. I'm going back to school. I'm choosing a practical major that I also enjoy. It's a matter of balance. I'm annoyed when my "struggling artist" friends airily say say that education shouldn't be about money, it's about finding your calling, enriching your soul, etc etc... Yes, but in order to eat and have health insurance, we all need to find a reasonably productive place in society. I'm certainly not saying you can't do that with classics. All I'm saying is.. think about it.</p>
<p>Uh, panstel, you can eat and have insurance with majoring in almost anything. Classics majors are some of the most well-prepared of any liberal arts majors, along with philosophy majors and a few others. Being well-prepared seems practical to me.</p>
<p>DRab, good point. Also, whoever can stick through a few years of ancient Greek has a brain. Classics may not be "practical," but smart students tend to major in the area, and hence, they are desired by employers.</p>