Itâs something that a lot of us hear - or dread hearing - when weâre starting off in university. âWhat are you going to do with a useless degree like that?â Some variation of this question will be said, whether itâs by a friend, a family member, or even a perfect stranger who decided that they knew better about your future than you do.Â
Hereâs the thing about academia - all degrees have value, but the amount itâs worth is always going to be up to you. Did you go into your university career with a different major than you have now? I did. This degree was less lucrative, less âusefulâ than my previous major would have been. But I excelled in the classes, and I enjoyed them, which was not what I was doing in my previous program.Â
The experience you have while youâre studying at the undergraduate, or even graduate, level does not just have to extend to coursework, but to other things as well. Did you make new friends? Did you uncover an interest you might have not otherwise known about had you not taken that class? Did you overcome a fear? Did you read more books than you ever thought possible? Did you learn something new about yourself? Did you have fun? Did you laugh? Do you have a professor who will stand out in your mind forever because of their literal catchphrase? (Mine was a Medieval professor who started every first day of class with: âThere is no use of the F-word in my class! You can fuck all you want, but noooooooooooo feudalism!â - I had him for three different Medieval courses and looked forward to the reactions every single time.)Â
Your program is there to help you learn and become a better scholar, but it is also to help you grow as a person. To me, there is no such thing as a useless degree - I get more out of my degrees than most people would expect. Do I need to indicate that I have a Creative Writing degree on my CV for my museum work? No, but I claimed it as a double major because I wanted to do it for my own enrichment, my own enjoyment, and if youâre doing something that makes you feel good, then itâs not useless.Â
If you have fun, your degree is worthwhile.Â
If youâve made friends, your degree is worthwhile.
If you have memories youâll never forget, your degree is worthwhile.
If you learned anything during your program, your degree is worthwhile.
If you found yourself during your program, your degree is worthwhile.Â
Remember, there is no such thing as a âuselessâ degree. If youâre enjoying it, if you love it, and youâre studying it because you want to, thatâs more than enough for your degree to be worthwhile. Let no one stop you from doing what you love.
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