Travis Fife: Choosing college major is a personal process

I once waited on a total stranger in a restaurant who insisted that the only thing I could do with a degree in philosophy was become a priest.

Even after I explained to him that there is more than one type of philosophy, he still tried to convince me that my only hope of making decent money with my degree was by writing Christian TV shows.

What I’ve noticed after living in Los Angeles for two years and explaining my major countless times is that no one really understands my choice to study philosophy. It’s seen as a very short-term plan. I’ve also realized that trying to justify it to other people doesn’t really make them see my reasoning; it just makes me doubt my own decision.

Choosing your major is difficult for many reasons, not the least of which is navigating other people’s expectations. But ultimately the choice is a fundamentally personal one – you are, after all, the one that will be sitting in that classroom, writing the papers, taking the tests.

Instead of encouragement, when I tell people I’m a philosophy student, the question that follows is always something along the lines of a condescending, “Oh, so you want to go to law school?” or “What do people do with that?”

In response to these sorts of questions, my family and I have started adding caveats when the topic comes up. “I study philosophy … but really I want to apply to law school” is my typical explanation, or, as I’ve heard my mom say a few times, “He studies philosophy; he really likes to think.”

Thanks, Mom.

But really I can’t blame her. It avoids a lot of the awkwardness I encountered while finishing high school and talking to people about my college plans.

Instead of a half-confused stare that says “Why the hell would anyone pay tuition for that?” now I’m greeted with an enthusiastic “Oh you’re pre-law? Philosophy will really prepare you for the LSAT.”

It’s as if every time I tell someone my major, I have an obligation to explain its utility and prove it’s a worthwhile pursuit. But choosing a major shouldn’t be like that. It should be a choice based on the direction you want your college experience to go, not something you are pressured into choosing by other people.

Now that I’m entering my junior year and starting to get more involved in the philosophy program, other people’s skepticism doesn’t bother me like it used to. But when I was entering college and for most of my freshman year the pressure from others was the hardest part of choosing what to study.

After always being told how hard it would make my life after graduation, I struggled to maintain confidence in the value of philosophy. It almost made me not want to study the subject I enjoyed the most.

And I don’t think this experience is unique to me, or philosophy students in general. Rather, I think all students struggle with the dilemma of finding something they really want to study versus what they think they should be studying.

I’m not here to tell you which major to pick, but I am here to tell you that this question is really hard and it doesn’t get easier just because you think business economics or engineering will get you a six-figure job four years down the road.

For me, what it came down to was realizing that my interest in philosophy was more important than justifying myself to strangers. Choosing a major is a personal choice, and that requires recognizing what is most important to you, not other people.

The major you choose will, in large part, shape the type of experience you have at UCLA. If everyone around you thinks the pre-med track is the one you should be on, then that’s something you may want to consider. But that also can’t be the be-all and end-all of your decision.

Maybe I’ll end up actually going to law school, or maybe I’ll try to make a career out of studying philosophy. But either way, I will make that decision based on what I find most meaningful, even if some people can’t distinguish philosophy from what they hear in church.