Confucius once said, “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
Confucius knew what he was talking about, and as difficult as it may be to stay true to his advice these days, it is crucial to achieving a fully satisfying life.
In last week’s issue of The Mirror, a journalist wrote her opinion on life after college.
The first concern I had about it was its location in the Campus Life section.
I did not learn anything about campus from it; instead I took away the cynical views of one reporter on projected post-graduation woes.
The second concern I had about the article was that the writer bashed the College of Arts and Sciences.
Though she is an English major and a member of The Mirror (an organization full of Arts and Sciences majors), she wrote that business students and nursing majors “put more time into their major than the entire College of Arts and Sciences combined.”
I do not feel that students outside of Arts and Sciences are necessarily more worthy of jobs. Without liberal arts there would be no doctors, no lawyers or media to relay information.
The ability of a person to get a job is more dependent on the networking and experience gained by the individual throughout his or her time at Fairfield.
The problem with an English major is not its uselessness, but its breadth. Graduating with a B.A. in English allows recent graduates to work in almost any field they choose.
As an English major, I have faced these overwhelming options; I could work in business, communications, education, law, non-profit organizations – the list goes on. Because studying English offers a more well-rounded education, a student will not be forced into a particular trade.
The success of graduates trying to find a job is dependent upon their ambition and a desire to do what they love.
That is, assuming they want to enjoy their lives, because it is where most people will spend the majority of their time – at least 40 hours a week for upwards of 40 years, if all goes well.
Post-graduation success should not be based on initial salary, but on happiness and the feeling of accomplishment work brings to any student who chose a major they loved and pursued it to the fullest.
Sincerely, Katherine Cincotta ’10
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