When considering which major would best suit a person’s interests and goals, there is a wide range of factors to consider. Because people are so unique and individualized, it seems very unlikely there will be one “perfect” major for most people. The goal then becomes picking on that fits best given it’s strengths and weaknesses, and one that will be the least difficult to integrate into. For me, I believe this program is the Communications Studies major.
One weakness of the Communication Studies major that readily comes to mind is its difficulty to define to others. Whenever I’m asked what major I’m currently in, I’m often met with a blank stare and the question “What exactly does that mean?” After attempting some sort of response, the speaker moves on to an even more difficult subject. “What do you plan on doing with that after graduating?”
I can honestly say that I have no specific answer for that question. There are a number of things I would love to do after leaving college, but no one set idea or plan laid out for me. But this is one of the reasons I believe a major in Communication Studies will be very useful in the future. Rather than any of the other more defined communication majors, the Studies program offers a wide variety of knowledge and understanding about how media is created, projected, received, and how it affect’s the individual. This is information that would be highly useful in almost any media related field. Even aside from jobs, the information gained here will have a great impact on my communication skills and relationships with others. It will help me gain a better idea of how to best guide a family, knowing what effects media can have upon them. Also, it will help me better understand my own relationship with media and avoid allowing it to play an overemphasized or underemphasized role in my life.
One weakness of the Communication Studies major (in my mind) is that at times it doesn’t focus on the things I’m really interested in as much as I’d like. But obviously only so much customability can be allowed, since there are certain things the university would like us to learn that we may not be all that interested in, but will be good for our overall education. For example, there is a huge emphasis placed on research in the Communication Studies program, despite the fact that a research job is only one option after graduation. At first I disliked this emphasis, but the ideas taught are also applicable to several different areas. Being able to determine whether research is valid is an important skill when discussing communication theory, and realizing the best way to evaluate your own theories and media relationships is something that is important in all areas of life. To some extent every individual is already a researcher of the world around them, so learning the skills to be effective and efficient can always be applied.
Another emphasis I might want to change is the fact that the Communication Studies major tends to focus more on news related media, where my interest is mostly in film, television, books, and other fiction media. But the general theories taught can be applied anywhere, and the topic is discussed enough to learn the best way to apply them. It’s probably true that my main areas of media interest are the areas where I spend the most of my personal time. I enjoy a lot of entertainment media. I’m also extremely interested in technology as it applies to communications. How blogging and podcasting have changed the face of media, and how these individual communications affect big media conglomerates, is one area of interest. Current interactive multimedia and the possibilities presented with new technologies like Blu-ray, or innovative uses of the internet to directly connect people are also very intriguing to me. These topics hold great interest for me not only because a communications/media job is where I may end up, but also because these are the topics that are affecting my life ever day. I live and learn and play within a world of massive technological potential that is changing my life, the lives of others, and the face of media as a whole. I’ve not yet seen any major focus on these things, but the concepts being taught in the Communication Studies program are very applicable, and probably one of the majors on campus closest related to these topics. That’s one of the reasons I picked it, and one reason believe it’s a good fit for what I hope to do post graduation.
The Communication Studies program seems to focus mainly on broad concepts and communication theory as a whole. Because of this, it’s a major that teaches you how to learn, and one that can be a good basis for further education down the road. When eventually leaving college I will more than likely seek out a media related job that is somewhat more hands on and technical in nature. The Communication Studies program itself will not teach me how to do such a job. But what it will teach me how to continually evaluate and gain information from the world around me, how to properly use media as a tool in my own life, and generally how to continue learning throughout my entire life. Because I have great interest in a media related field, understanding these things is very important to me, and I feel that this major will help prepare me for a life of media use in the future.
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