Passion vs. Practicality

College Majors
1

<p>I am a senior in high school and I am trying to plan out my life...</p>

<p>I am really interested in eventually becoming a journalist. I love current events and telling everyone about them, but I am not sure that getting a B.S. in journalism (from Missouri State University) will lead to a decent job.</p>

<p>I also have looked into economics. I think I would enjoy courses such as International Political Economy or International Economics, but I'm not sure that I would do well in the Applied Econometrics class. I am currently taking Pre-Calculus and got a B+ last semester. :( </p>

<p>I also would like to double minor in Middle Eastern studies and Finance. I hope to become proficient in Arabic. Classes such as Investments I and Financial Management sound so cool!</p>

<p>If I did the economics major with the double minor in Middle Eastern studies and Finance, I would go to grad school for journalism. I would hopefully be able to get a decent job by getting an economics degree... I would like to get some kind of analyst position. Then, hopefully, I can get a good job in the journalism field. </p>

<p>This is all assuming that I attend Missouri State. I have also applied to Scripps, Colby, Mount Holyoke and Bryn Mawr. If I attend any of those colleges, I would double major in International Studies/Relations and Economics. I would definitely attend graduate school for journalism. </p>

<p>Please help! Is graduate school for journalism worth the money? Should I not major in economics just because of the Econometrics course? If I could, I would double major and double minor, but MSU doesn't allow that. </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>I, too, worry about my grad school prospects a lot as a senior, but everyone I talk to tells me to just calm down on the planning for a second and figure out undergrad first!</p>

3

<p>PASSION! If you love something, you will be more motivated to succeed in your classes and most likely receive better grades, which can help land you in a better job/graduate school (which, in a way, lends itself to practicality). Plus, you have more fun!</p>

4

<p>You should ALWAYS follow your passion - just make sure you can make your major marketable. I myself had to make a similar decision - I chose an Economics major because I want a career in government, and they can intertwine nearly seamlessly. I feel it’s more “practical” than my other choice, Political science, but I’m not going to be straying from my original goal. I think for you, economics may be too much of a stretch if your goal is journalism. </p>

<p>International relations/global affairs is definitely not though. It may actually give you a huge edge a journalism major, moreso if you’re interested in big-time new casting/article writing. you’d be studying different cultures, and you could choose to pick up an in-demand language (Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, etc.). Most likely, you’d have to take part of a study abroad program too. Then perhaps see if you can minor in English, journalism, or communications. However, you can just as well major in journalism, but learning about different cultures and language can make that option more lucrative.</p>