Next week I am going to make a decision that may affect the rest of my life and I am having trouble making this decision. Let me begin by providing some background info.
I am a Speech and Communications major at a local University. I have returned to complete my degree after a long hiatus and I am 27 years old.
In order for me to graduate I have to choose an emphasis. My choices are Rhetoric, Organizational Communication, Intercultural Communication, or I make one up with the consent of an advisor. I have ruled out Intercultural Communication because it is not interesting to me and the choose my own emphasis option is very hard to get accepted by the advisor so I have decided to choose between Rhetoric and Organizational Communication.
Rhetoric, to me, is absolutely fascinating. I love the classes that I have taken so far and I have done very well in them. I want this to be my emphasis but there is hardly anything I can do with it once I graduate.
Organizational Communication is slightly interesting, but I don’t love it. If I were to choose that option, it would be because that emphasis would allow me better opportunities once I graduate. Also, I have had some experience with organizational communication and I hated it. I worked for a Public Relations firm and I hated every moment I worked there. This has left me somewhat traumatized to Org Comm.
So I was wondering what should I do. Should do what I love, which is rhetoric, and keep on living with my mom and being broke or should I sell my soul to the devil and do the Org Comm emphasis. With it I may have a good chance of finding a job and finally stabilizing my life.
“If you cannot risk, you cannot grow,
If you cannot grow, you cannot become your best,
If you cannot become your best, you cannot be happy, If you cannot be happy, what else matters?”
The bigger question is what do you want to do in 5 or ten years?
It’s no sin to dislike PR, in fact, it’s a good thing you figured that out already. But what do you want? That’s what should guide your education choices. I suspect the two choices you’ve narrowed down to are both wrong for you.
Doing what I really want to do is not possible. I want to be a superstar DJ but that will not happen. This is why I have chosen to return to school.
I was glad that I got an opportunity to work in PR. It helped me realize what I do not want to do.
Ultimately, I am seeking stability in my life. I really do not know exactly what I want to do five years from now. This is why I chose this major, because it can offer flexibility.
Why do you suspect that these two choices are not right for me?
Because you hate one and don’t see money in the other.
I really think you need to sort out the ten year plan. It’s tough but important. You don’t need to know exactly, but you should at least think in terms of “here are the skills I enjoy using,” “here are the sorts of things I’d like to do,” “here are my priorities,” etc.
Listen to me very carefully… It does not matter what you major in at college. I repeat It does not matter what you major in at college. And you’re agonizing over different concentrations within the same major? Trust me, dude, take the classes that interest you. You’ll still get a job, and you won’t be stuck living with your mom. They’re not going to look at your resume and go “Well, this is pretty good, but we really wanted someone with six more credits in Corporate Weaselhood.” Follow your heart.
Chaco, if you tell yourself it wont happen it definately wont happen. If you’ve got a love for dance music and you wanna be a DJ you should go for it, but you have to be dedicated. If DJ’ing is really what you want to do then finish your degree and get a job asap so you can buy yourself some decks and stuff, and then practice, practice, practice.
You have to go with what’s in your heart. Even if you don’t make it to superstar status, you would’ve at least had a go and had some fun on the way
Do what you like. You’re not going to get hired in a well-paid corporate position right out of college anyway- not in this job market. College graduates are scrounging to get any work right now, and the chances of them finding well paid work in their field is pretty small. Your chances of getting rich from having “organizational communications” instead of “rhetoric” on your diploma are too small to even be worth worrying about.
Bill H: I see your point and this is something I need to work on.
cuahtemoc: This is something I had thought about. When I write on my resume I have a degree, it will not specify what my emphasis is but the skills that I acquire in the Org Comm emphasis may be useful.
Pixelle: There is nothing I love doing more than Djing. I have been doing it for about seven years. The reason I say it won’t happen is because it has been very hard to get gigs where I live. It seems that everyone is a DJ here. I have canvassed many clubs with my demo but they all have huge lines of DJs waiting to be chosen. Do you need a DJ
even sven: I am not looking to become a millionaire (although it wouldn’t hurt:)) I just want to make enough money to stabilize my life. I know how hard it will be because of our economy. I hope that the economy will have picked up by the time I graduate.
Thanks for the advice. Keep them coming, this is helpful.
What is more important?
[ul][li] living where you do?[/li][li] doing what you want to do?[/ul][/li]
The majority opinion seems to be for you to do what you love to do and I add my vote to that line of thought.
I’ll also bet that your grade average will be more important than what your emphasis is.
