“Nordic Lesbianism”: 30 College Majors That Are Just Ridiculous

Think about what the future might look like. Consider how the landscape of the job market will change. It’s impossible to know for certain what the future will bring, though. Degrees that are in demand now (e.g. nursing, culinary arts, computer science, business admin, and accounting, according to Indeed) might be supplanted by other majors in the years to come.

Ideally, you want to find a degree that you’re happy with. That might sound obvious, but it’s important that you’re passionate about whatever that you’re going to spend years and years studying. It means setting all the social pressure you might feel aside, and really thinking deeply about what you’re good at, what you care about, and how practical your major will be once you enter the job market.

What you’re going for is a degree that’s at the intersection of your talents, your passions, financial security, and what the world as a whole needs. Of course, you’ll need the diligence, drive, and discipline to follow through with your studies!

Your parents might want you to be a doctor or a lawyer because they’re in-demand professions that pay well. And that’s all fine and dandy, but if you literally have no interest whatsoever in either of those paths, you’d be doing yourself a disservice by going down them.

If you truly hate what you do, you can’t expect to do well in your studies or, later, in your job. Nobody wants a doctor who loathes what they do or is well-paid but miserable; they want someone who sees purpose in their career.

But you have to understand why your family might push you down a certain path. They have a lot of life experience and they understand the importance of financial stability and reputation. Someone with a high-profile degree is seen as a valuable member of society. Someone with a ‘serious’ degree is going to have more flexibility and job offers than a person with an incredibly niche set of skills.

It might be worth considering whether you can combine the two in some way. Say, going for a major that’s a bit more robust, while using your spare time to focus on your other passions, whether that’s puppetry or fencing.

Depending on where in the world you live, your choice of a college degree can saddle you with student loans for decades to come (e.g. in the US), or… education is (practically) free (e.g. in many European countries). Money aside, you’ll be spending years of your life at college. It only makes sense that you don’t jump into something you’ll regret, whether that’s following a fading passion for art or giving in to massive pressure from your relatives.

At the end of the day, the choice is yours. Just make sure that you’re aware of the time and money you’ll be investing in a particular course before signing up for a ridiculous major.