In Defense of the Liberal Arts

Yesterday afternoon, I met with an undergraduate student who wanted to talk about graduate school options. "I'm an English major," she said, "and I think I want to get a master's degree, or a PhD." Pretty typical in my line of work, so I asked her the all-important question: Why? She looked at her feet, fidgeted in her chair, and admitted quietly what so many before her have said: "Well, I'm an English major, what else am I supposed to do?"

Conversations like this make my blood boil. Why did she want to go to graduate school? Because, like many others, some faceless, nameless group of people had informed her that liberal arts majors are useless on the job market. That if she wants to make "real money" (whatever that means) she should have picked a major that mattered; either that or she should be seeking recommendation letters for admission to grad school.

First of all, who IS this nefarious group telling all my liberal arts students that the four years and thousands of dollars they are spending on a liberal arts degree is a waste? Who's encouraging them to jump into graduate school when truly they have not a clue what they want to do with their looming Bachelors degree, let alone a professional or graduate degree? Well, whoever you are, give it a rest.

Stop telling liberal arts majors that they don't have any marketable skills, and stop telling them that they won't make any money. Making a decision about a major- think about it, you were 19 or 20 years old when you did it- is one of the biggest and most important they have made, and many are already crippled with self doubt. So lay off, please, and give them some useful advice instead.

If your son, daughter, cousin, friend, whoever tells you they've decided to major in art history, don't immediately ask them "so what will you do with that major?" Because here's the truth, and anyone 2 or 3 years out of college knows it: no one asks you about your major. Sure, it's a talking point as an entry-level employee interviewing for a job, but if you can siphon out the transferable skills you gained in the major, usually that's what employers need to hear. But please, stop reinforcing the fraudulent line of thinking that major=career, because for most of the population, it doesn't.

Ask your liberal arts friend/relative/casual acquaintance why they chose that major- let them tell you about what excites them and what they enjoy studying. Ask them about the most interesting thing they've learned, or the most challenging class they've taken. In these answers, you'll hear the hallmarks of a strong liberal arts education: critical thinking skills, the ability to construct and defend an argument, creativity, overcoming obstacles and learning from them, writing and speaking skills, a breadth of knowledge and a depth of specific study. And, after you've heard these things, resist the urge to force the question, "that's great, so what are you gonna do with that stuff?" Trust me when I say, they're already asking themselves that every. single. day.

This issue is extra sensitive for me, because as you've probably guessed, I am a liberal arts major- Rhetoric and Communication Studies and Journalism double major, in fact. And I've been asked all those questions and befuddled by them. I've questioned, doubted, and sometimes artlessly defended my choices. But 6 years after college, I see their value. My journalism classes taught me to write, to challenge, to ask big questions, and to stand on what I believe in. Rhetoric and comm taught me how to express, critique, dismantle and rebuild my own ideas, and to communicate them effectively in a variety of ways. My professors in these classes challenged me to go beyond the words on a page of a textbook, and apply myself to jobs and internships and student leadership positions to put what I was learning into action.

Action is critical to success for students in the liberal arts. And while I will wield a rhetorical sword in their defense, I will not do the same for students who sit back and don't use the many resources colleges and universities provide for them to look beyond their interests, majors, and classes, toward what they might want to apply their skills to in the world of work. Don't equate selection of a liberal arts major and the seeming inability to find a job with one another. Whether you are a linguistics, political science, art, or English major, it doesn't much matter. What DOES matter is a student's willingness to find out what it is they would like to do, then gaining the experience in AND outside of class that helps them get there. Because while I sympathize with persecuted liberal arts majors struggling with the job search, I have no sympathy whatsoever for those who have been too apathetic or lazy to do the work to find what it is they want to do.

You may disagree with me on some (or many) of these points, and that's fine. But I am sick to death of hearing from shame-faced liberal arts students about how they think they've wasted their time, or have been told they have no skills to show for all their hard work. It's simply not true. So instead of criticizing or interrogating these students about their choices, talk to them about what you do, how you got there, and what you wish you would have done to make the path easier back when you were a college student. Talk about the twists and turns of your career, and how you were prepared (or not prepared) by your college experience. Encourage them to seek out resources from their career center or academic advising office. Tell them they need experience to get the job they want, not just a degree. And leave the choice of major off the table. Please.