(no subject)

[bedlamsbard]

There is no fucking worse feeling in the world than knowing your father thinks your field of study, your degree programs, and your thesis topic are all completely worthless.

Especially considering that he's the person who got me into that sort of thing in the first place.

I have been told this so many times by so many different people that I'm terrified one of these days I'm actually going to start believing it. I don't even have a rebuttal aside from, "I like it."

Comments

[scy]

I got a Linguistics degree because I like language. Way too many people have told me just what you're saying, and you know what? You liking it and enjoying it are valid reasons. You're the one who is going to be living your life.

[bedlamsbard]

Thanks, hon. I am -- I'm pretty aware that enjoying it is a perfectly valid reason at this point, because I've been having this conversation with people for years now and it took me a really long time (a year and a half, almost two years) to come to terms with the fact that it was, in fact, perfectly all right to go to university and study things that you like, because I went into uni with the mindset that I would study something that would get me a good job (okay, I went in planning to be AFROTC, and that didn't work out). And it was mindblowing when I did finally bring myself to admit that!

I just wish I wasn't being told the same thing by strangers, acquaintances, friends, and family, because it's exhausting. And there's a reason I burst into tears whenever the subject comes up.

[scy]

Yes, and you may not find your perfect job right away, but you will find something you like to do (which is what I am looking for).

I am at the point with people where I smile and politely say STFU. Because, you have earned it.

[highlyeccentric]

*smishes you*

Worth it. Worth it for your happiness; and it *will* be teaching you transferable skills - what they are will depend on temperament and interest as much as topic, so I'm not going to try to tell you. But they will be there.

[bedlamsbard]

*hugs* Thanks, hon.

The weird thing is that my dad's fine with me going into academia (he's encouraged it for years; he works in the university system, though he's not a professor), he just...I don't know, doesn't think it's cutting edge or edgy enough or something, because he thinks classics/MEMS is going to fail when it comes to university budgeting? (So, okay, that makes sense, AND YET I am pretty aware of that, you know?)

[cofax7]

So, I got my undergraduate degree in anthropology. It would have been archaeology, but I had to transfer to a school that didn't have a separate archeo program, and I ended up in anthro with a very generalized interest in development issues. My dad was... concerned, I expect. It wasn't a meat-and-potatoes kind of program, and I flailed around for about six months after graduating before I got a "real" job.

It's now 25 years later. I make a good enough living to own my own home in the Bay Area. I have a cool enough job that I can't tell you what it is because only a few people in the country do it, but I get to travel a bit and I talk with the public, the press, non-profits, and Congressional aides pretty regularly. I've written language that got signed into law. I even get the occasional helicopter ride.

I got here with the anthro degree. On the way I got a law degree too, but both were necessary for this particular career path.

That your dad doesn't see much of value doesn't mean there's no value. And I know you know that, but it's probably helpful to have someone from the outside mention it occasionally.

I'd be happy to talk offline if you want, but don't feel obligated. Just remember: there is work outside of academia for people with social science backgrounds. You're not locked in.

[bedlamsbard]

Thanks, hon.

The weird thing is that my dad's fine with me going into academia -- he's actually encouraged it; he teaches in a university, he's been in the university system for years. (He's an ESL teacher at the uni level.) It's just -- the impression I have is that Classics/Medieval/Renaissance isn't cutting edge enough or edgy enough or something. Because the Powers That Be in the university system are going to pass those fields over for something like women's studies or Asian studies or the sciences. (My dad is, uh, pretty conservative, so I guess it's kind of a weird compliment in some ways? Although I'm not going to bother trying to articulate how, because, uh, my dad's brain.)

Thanks again.

[cofax7]

That he's in academia makes a difference, certainly, although given what I'm hearing nowadays, I would want anyone looking at grad school to be sure they had alternate options available. As I'm sure you know, career options in academia, especially the, um, unprofitable disciplines without high-tech funding, are becoming more limited. That could be one of his concerns--certainly it's one of mine.

Anyway, good luck with it. And I do think it's worthwhile knowing that there is non-academic work out there: certainly my undergrad anthropology department never told me so--I had to discover it all on my own.

[bedlamsbard]

The thing that bewildered me about today was that we weren't talking about my career, because we've had that particular conversation. We were talking about my honors thesis topic, which doesn't need funding. Thesis prospecti aren't competing against each other to get approved! I don't have to worry about my prospectus being taken less seriously than some public health major's prospectus! (Especially considering that the dean of the honors program is a medieval historian whose specialty is religious culture: I'm pretty sure I don't need to convince him that classics and medieval studies are worthwhile.)

I am pretty lucky that my advisor in the classics sat me down and said, "Look, by the time you get out of grad school, there might not be any job openings for classical historians, so make sure that you have some kind of skill that can transfer to a non-academic field," and told me her story of the same. (And, I mean, on that note, I'm really glad that I did my Cambridge program, because there are things I can do that don't rely on getting a teaching position.)

[cofax7]

I think your advisor is very wise!

[pinesandmaples]

From a purely academic standpoint, we need people in every discipline, every nook, every cranny of human knowledge recording, producing, remembering, expounding, creating so that every part of what we know, what we have known, and what we will know is part of the human record. There is no true Holy Grail of academic pursuits; there is only Your Holy Grail.

Anyone who tells you that there is One Right Thing To Study is blowing smoke. Everything should be studied, by people who are passionate about studying each thing. And great! You are passionate about something! It is yours!

[sporky_rat]

Well, there is One Right Thing To Study! ....If you can lump all of human knowledge into one big mass, that is.


:D

[whatistigerbalm]

Wish I had something wiser to say than "persevere" but we only get one life and pleasing others in terms of vocation or career is not the best way to spend it.

[sporky_rat]

Amen! Preach it!

[juliekarasik]

::sends hugs::

[harpers_child]

i think that your studies are cool with a side of awesomesauce. i enjoy whenever you write about your passions.

and now i'm thinking about classics etc crosslisted with women's studies about kickass women going to war (sweet polly oliver!) or running things during the crusades or women's roles in roman society. that's just one department off the top of my head. i'm sure actual academians can do better.

[sara]

It's been twelve years since anyone's paid me to do anything but the thoroughly impractical thing I got my degree in.

Now, I have been pretty flexible about deciding what my "field" actually is, but...it can be done.