Are unenjoyable careers really that terrible?

[minakichan]

Kind of a weird question, so I'll provide some context. I'm majoring in management, probably finance, a field that I have absolutely no interest in but am not willing to change because it makes a lot of money and any other field I'd actually have interest in would be impossible. I keep hearing people say that employers are looking for people that are "passionate" about their work and that working in a field that doesn't interest is absolutely miserable. The former I can understand, but is the latter really true?

The reason I ask this is because, well, I mean, I've survived high school, which was 7 hours a day plus 6-8 hours or homework. I hated high school, but it was OK, I obviously didn't end up killing myself. In the real world, a job is only 8, maybe 10-12 if you're unlucky, hours a day because they're no homework. My parents hate their jobs, but they watched more TV a night than I did in a month. Is my family just an anomaly? Does anyone else have insight on whether the Real World REALLY stinks that hard?

Also, if anyone has any hints as to how I can actually become passionate about finance (or at least fake it), that'd be much appreciated~

[Syreth]

I would say most people are probably dissatisfied with their jobs at some level, even if they're in a career that they feel passionately about.

But I think it's entirely possible to find a reasonable amount of happiness in almost any job. I work in electronics production, and I am enjoying life quite a bit. I don't hate work--on the contrary, I enjoy it for what it's worth. Even though it's a "dead-end" job, it's not really that bad. But it's not my final resting place by any means, because I have other goals in mind for a career that I think I would enjoy more than what I'm doing now. But I'm happy. God is good. ^^

[Radical Dreamer]

I think the main question that comes to mind when thinking of an unenjoyable career is "is this really what I want to do for the rest of my life?" I mean, I can't imagine being happy while doing a job I find terrifically boring with a boss who makes my life miserable for the next 30+ years. I think it's good advice to take on a career you can enjoy to some extent, instead of having a career that pains you to have to get out of bed everyday.

[ClosetOtaku]

I think you may be setting yourself up for disappointment.

I've known several people who truly did not like their jobs/career choice. I know this because I fired them. In the end, their work performance showed just how much they despised their occupation.

I also know this because I know a several people (including a close relative) who picked jobs because they thought they would make "good money", even though they did not enjoy that particular line of work. In every case, they (a) decided to change careers after being fired, or (b) made some really stupid decisions, jumping from job to job, and then decided to change careers after that too wore thin.

Now I'll also share this: that close relative changed to a career he liked. He started out with low pay but enjoyed the work so much that he totally threw himself into it. He was hired by a relatively small publishing company that, with his help, became sufficiently large to attract the interest of a couple buyers who are household names (Steve Jobs being one). He's now an executive with that company, and is making more money than he would/could have in his previous career. And he still enjoys the work.

My point? If you think you can hide your distaste for your job/career, you are probably fooling yourself. You just can't keep it up forever. Even if your superiors don't notice, you'll likely grow to hate your job, and maybe even yourself.

Don't get me wrong. I have had four different 'careers': field medicine, followed by laboratory medicine, followed by medical IT, now in DoD acquisition. I did the first two so that I could get the credentials to get into medical IT -- and unless I were starving, there is no way I'd go back to them. But that was part of the plan, and while I did not necessarily enjoy the first two that much, I could always focus on where I was headed.

So, don't paint yourself into a corner. If you really hate finance, use it to launch yourself into something you enjoy. But don't think that you can keep doing it the rest of your life if you really despise it.

Just my two cents -- but, like I said, I've known a number of people who hated their jobs, and their work performance suffered for it.

[Omega Amen]

Listen to ClosetOtaku. He has got it completely right.

[ich1990]

Kind of a weird question, so I'll provide some context. I'm majoring in management, probably finance, a field that I have absolutely no interest in but am not willing to change because it makes a lot of money and any other field I'd actually have interest in would be impossible. I keep hearing people say that employers are looking for people that are "passionate" about their work and that working in a field that doesn't interest is absolutely miserable. The former I can understand, but is the latter really true?

I agree with ClosetOtaku on this one, do the kind of job you need to do to survive, while at the same time keeping an eye open/preparing a plan for moving on to what you really want to do. Most major businessess or jobs require someone to work in the managerial/finance area, maybe you could hire into a company that you want to work for in the finance branch. Get your foot in the door and prove that you are an excellent worker, then ask for a transfer.

I would also be careful about measuring success by the amount of tv that you are able to watch.

[Nate]

I would also be careful about measuring success by the amount of tv that you are able to watch.

What about how much video games you're able to play? Because man I am backlogged on my gaming.

[LadyRushia]

I know I can't imagine myself in a career I don't enjoy. I'd rather make less money at a job I love than more money at a job I hate.

[Cognitive Gear]

As someone who is in a career level job which I am not interested in, I can say that there is nothing more important to me right now than getting myself into a job which I am truly passionate/interested in.

Living for the weekend is not something I enjoy.

[minakichan]

I would also be careful about measuring success by the amount of tv that you are able to watch.

<s>But anime is my life...</s>
I meant that as a representation of my free time >_>; Not saying that that's the same as happiness, but a lack of free time due to too much work is certainly equates to unhappiness in my book.

Thanks for advice, all. Hrmm, well, the thing is, to be honest, I don't really think I have an (viable) alternative; I'm definitely getting my degree in management because everything else either seriously bores me or won't pay the bills. (I would clarify that finance is a field I have "no interest in," but unlike, say, physics, it's not one that I "absolutely despise.")

Well, I've heard that people change careers more often than ever before, so... (o.o) Maybe it'll work out. I dunno.

[ChristianKitsune]

I would NEVER put a price on what I felt I was to do with my life.

God gives us passions and dreams for a reason, I believe, and I choose to pursue those passions instead of doing something I hate.

Which is why I'm working so hard to get a my Bachelor's in Art. I want to be an artist, I can't see myself doing anything else!

Business bores the crap out of me, I fell asleep in economics, It's handy to know yes, XD but I just can't picture myself in an office job for the rest of my life.

You mentioned high school, and homework..well yeah that's only 4 years of your life... O_o could you imagine doing all that for 6-8 times that ammount? I CAN'T DX

so yeah...never put a price on your principles, or your dreams...you may be making a lot of money in the long run. But is it REALLY worth it?

[GhostontheNet]

Kind of a weird question, so I'll provide some context. I'm majoring in management, probably finance, a field that I have absolutely no interest in but am not willing to change because it makes a lot of money and any other field I'd actually have interest in would be impossible. I keep hearing people say that employers are looking for people that are "passionate" about their work and that working in a field that doesn't interest is absolutely miserable. The former I can understand, but is the latter really true?

The reason I ask this is because, well, I mean, I've survived high school, which was 7 hours a day plus 6-8 hours or homework. I hated high school, but it was OK, I obviously didn't end up killing myself. In the real world, a job is only 8, maybe 10-12 if you're unlucky, hours a day because they're no homework. My parents hate their jobs, but they watched more TV a night than I did in a month. Is my family just an anomaly? Does anyone else have insight on whether the Real World REALLY stinks that hard?

Also, if anyone has any hints as to how I can actually become passionate about finance (or at least fake it), that'd be much appreciated~

I think ClosetOtaku is on the right track here. I beg your indulgence as I muse philosophically on this matter.

Many people labor under the illusion that there is a such thing as wealth and material goods that we may possess. In recent times, people have come to think of these things as the highest good. In actuality, the only thing we humans truly possess is time and the ability to choose how we might use it. Money is like the crystalized form of labor power that allows us to occupy our time with a wider range of possibilities. But money itself only relates to time, and as all dead men know, is useless without it. You think that by this course you are progressing toward great wealth, but I think that are on a course of existential poverty and wretchedness. Our Lord himself counsels "Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you." (John 5:27) He also says "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21) We labor for the bread of eternal life and store up treasures in heaven when we do the will of God, which gives our lives meaning. Please, for God's sake, go study something that will make the time you spend in your life meaningful - for this is the essence of true wealth that endures forever.

You say "its only 8 hours". However, this is really only a sneaky way to avoid saying "its only a full third of almost every day of my life". Your parents offer little consolation as they hate their jobs. I suspect the reason they drown themselves in so much television is to distract themselves from their misery with a wall of noises and images. Man was not meant to live like this. You mention that many people say that "employers are looking for people that are 'passionate." As much as I hate to attribute any spiritual or existential wisdom to the bourgeoisie, this is very true. In the old era of Industrial economics, the bourgeoisie had succeeded in destroying the pride and joy of the guild system, replacing it with a spiritually devastating form of labor. Suddenly, men and women were reduced to mere appendages of flesh attached to machines, laboring in endless repetitions to produce a very small part of a product very likely to be meaningless to the laborer. God imparted man with his own image with the will to create and manage the world around him as a reflection of Himself, and ordained that man should find joy and rest in their labors. But the Industrialists blasphemously defiled this and did enormous harm to man's ability to experience all holy and sacred things. It was like many of his spiritual nerve endings had been ripped out of their sockets, requiring God's expert healing to be repaired.

Of course, these days we live in the era of Post-Industrial economics - now with only half the blasphemous alienation of labor. Since almost all of that ugly business of manufacturing products has been automated or outsourced to hapless foreigners, now the economy is built on the rendering of services and the repackaging of information. For Christians living in such an economy, the question becomes "Whom am I serving or informing, and to what end?" If, with God's guidance, we can discover a context in which we can serve or inform people in a meaningful way, we can carry out God's will and rediscover the joy and rest of labor. Paul reminds us that we should "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15-16.) Whatever you decide to do, before you make your decision I would suggest you watch a film directed by Akira Kurosawa titled Ikiru, which I believe you will find most enlightening. Let us always remember the words of Christ that "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10)

[Danderson]

I know I can't imagine myself in a career I don't enjoy. I'd rather make less money at a job I love than more money at a job I hate.

Very much a ditto.....Couldn't agree more.....For example, in the film industry (or anything art related), u never are garenteed a well-paying job on a regular basis.....yet, those who really love to do it and are passionate about it continue to pursue whatever goal they belive they were made for......

[Raiden no Kishi]

Whether you enjoy your job/career is your choice. After all, what job/career you have is also your choice. Give it a lot of prayer and thought and pick a winner. Try stuff. Read about stuff. Ask people about what they do. Trust me, I know exactly where you're coming from. I'm finishing my first year of college and I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do with my life.

Also good to remember: You won't always have a job you love, but you can learn to love it (to an extent) if that job is taking you somewhere you want to go (a better job that you will love, etc.)

.rai//

[ich1990]

What about how much video games you're able to play? Because man I am backlogged on my gaming.

Of course video games are worth living for! They are on a totally different plane of existence than tv]<s>But anime is my life...</s>
I meant that as a representation of my free time >_>; Not saying that that's the same as happiness, but a lack of free time due to too much work is certainly equates to unhappiness in my book.

Thanks for advice, all. Hrmm, well, the thing is, to be honest, I don't really think I have an (viable) alternative; I'm definitely getting my degree in management because everything else either seriously bores me or won't pay the bills. (I would clarify that finance is a field I have "no interest in," but unlike, say, physics, it's not one that I "absolutely despise.")

Well, I've heard that people change careers more often than ever before, so... (o.o) Maybe it'll work out. I dunno.[/QUOTE]

"Find a job you like and you will never have to work a day in your life"
-random quote by someone

I think this is the case. Lots of people that I have talked to have been trapped in a job they don't like, because they have a degree in an area they don't like. They can't afford to get another degree, so they have to work at a job they hate. Pretty soon, they have a few years into this job, a family, and a mortgage payment, and they can't leave their job, even if they want to. Make absolutely sure that you like your job before you dedicate the larger portion of your life to it.

Like I said before, transition into the job you like. Find a way to incorporate what you want to do with what you have to do. One of my friends has just been accepted into the FBI. She isn't at her "dream job" in the FBI yet, but she is a lot closer. For now, she is willing to work her way to that post. The important thing is to keep the ultimate goal in mind and constantly work towards that.

However, don't do something rash like dropping a well paying job, get under a giant load of debt, start your own coffee shop, and then file bankruptcy. Make sure you plan it out! With thought, ingenuity, and God's will, you can have any job you want. If God has given you a secial talent or desire to work in a certain area, make sure you make every attempt to make use of it.

Not to sound melodramatic, but by all means change your career into something you like before it's too late. You most likely won't drop into the "perfect" job without effort or planning, but I think it is well worth the time and energy to do so.

I know it is hard without support from family, but start thinking and planning (and praying!) about what you are going to do to get the job you will be happy with. Lately, retirement means, "finally I can quit the job I hate", this is not good! It is kind of like marriage, you don't want to make a life changing and nigh irrevocable decision if you are only so-so about it.

I think ClosetOtaku is on the right track here. I beg your indulgence as I muse philosophically on this matter.

That is a bit of a complicated read, but on the whole I agree with you. Thanks for laying at all out there.

[GhostontheNet]

But anime is my life...

In other words, you already know what your passion is. You just don't know what to do with it. I might be wrong, but I would venture to guess that if you spend most of your free time on Anime, you like to immerse yourself in it. And when I say immerse yourself in it, I mean really immerse yourself in it. You plunge right in to the story - the characters, the plot, the cinematics, the sound. All of this really interests you. If this is you, then the good news is that every society has a place for its storytellers and those that facilitate them. As a matter of fact, in this age of Postmodernism and heavy media saturation where we are barraged by distorted messages and many grow skeptical as to whether any narratives are valid, I can't think of many things that are more direly needed than a good storyteller who can tell the truth and light the way. Why don't you try taking courses in the arts and humanities, especially those that deal with storytelling arts like theatre and literature? You may well discover hidden gems inside yourself and open whole new worlds you never knew existed.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

In other words, you already know what your passion is. You just don't know what to do with it. I might be wrong, but I would venture to guess that if you spend most of your free time on Anime, you like to immerse yourself in it. And when I say immerse yourself in it, I mean really immerse yourself in it. You plunge right in to the story - the characters, the plot, the cinematics, the sound. All of this really interests you. If this is you, then the good news is that every society has a place for its storytellers and those that facilitate them. As a matter of fact, in this age of Postmodernism and heavy media saturation where we are barraged by distorted messages and many grow skeptical as to whether any narratives are valid, I can't think of many things that are more direly needed than a good storyteller who can tell the truth and light the way. Why don't you try taking courses in the arts and humanities, especially those that deal with storytelling arts like theatre and literature? You may well discover hidden gems inside yourself and open whole new worlds you never knew existed.

You know... you're quite the psychoanalyst here!

Anyway, Minakichan, always pursue what God wants you to do. We all know that he has plans for us, and I believe that he wants to lead you a certain way. While you may not economically prosper if you went into something like the Arts, he will definitely provide you with what you need to live for his kingdom.

Let him be your source of everything.

[GhostontheNet]

You know... you're quite the psychoanalyst here!

Yeah.... well.... you're just projecting your repressed feelings of anxiety and inferiority toward your father into me!

[Ingemar]

Are unenjoyable careers really that terrible?

No. Not at all.

*cherishes the fact that he won't have to think about touching a PCR machine for at least 50 hours*

[Syreth]

Whether you enjoy your job/career is your choice. After all, what job/career you have is also your choice. Give it a lot of prayer and thought and pick a winner. Try stuff. Read about stuff. Ask people about what they do. Trust me, I know exactly where you're coming from. I'm finishing my first year of college and I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do with my life.

Also good to remember: You won't always have a job you love, but you can learn to love it (to an extent) if that job is taking you somewhere you want to go (a better job that you will love, etc.)

.rai//

I second these thoughts. If you approach your job with a good attitude, it will make a world of difference.

It's interesting that our culture puts so much of an emphasis on "being something," like the children's books that talk about being a police officer or a doctor or a fire fighter when you grow up. Of course, that has the potential of setting us up for disappointment when things don't turn out our way. Someone can spend his time, energy and money hoping to be a pastor, but ends up working for UPS. Is there anything terribly wrong with that? Not at all. Can someone working for UPS do a lot of the same things that pastors do? Sure, why not? I don't think anyone's career defines who they are as much as we tend to think.

Shouldn't we be happy that we are simply able to work and can find employment?

Of course, there's nothing wrong with wanting to do something specific, or finding a job better suited for oneself. We should just be thankful for what we have, and not think of ourselves as failures if we find ourselves working at a job that we don't particularly care for.

But with a BSBA in finance, you could work at a lot of different places. You would most likely be crunching numbers wherever you go, but you could work at a church, like my buddy is doing (who also has a BSBA in finance). Remember, your degree doesn't necessarily set your future in stone. You could get that BSBA and do something completely different than what you planned on doing. Even if finance isn't something you're dreadfully passionate about, it's still not a bad decision--I've heard business degrees are very diverse and make you more marketable as a prospective employee (of course, any degree will do that to some extent).

[Mave]

I'm majoring in management, probably finance, a field that I have absolutely no interest in but am not willing to change because it makes a lot of money and any other field I'd actually have interest in would be impossible.

First/2nd question: What are the "any other field of interest" and why is it impossible? I don't think Finance/Management is the only field that makes a lot of money.

Next question: How much money do you intend to make? Do you really need that much? Don't get me wrong, nothing wrong with wanting to earn a decent paycheck. I have friends who earn lots of money through a job they hate and they're mighty miserable. Not worth that paycheck, IMO.

I keep hearing people say that employers are looking for people that are "passionate" about their work and that working in a field that doesn't interest is absolutely miserable. The former I can understand, but is the latter really true?

Judging based on what my fellow colleagues and managers have shared, yes to both.

The reason I ask this is because, well, I mean, I've survived high school, which was 7 hours a day plus 6-8 hours or homework. I hated high school, but it was OK, I obviously didn't end up killing myself. In the real world, a job is only 8, maybe 10-12 if you're unlucky, hours a day because they're no homework.

I think school life can't be used as a reference to what working life is like.

My parents hate their jobs, but they watched more TV a night than I did in a month. Is my family just an anomaly?

Not an abnormality but it's certainly sad.

Does anyone else have insight on whether the Real World REALLY stinks that hard?

It only stinks as hard as you make it out to be.

Also, if anyone has any hints as to how I can actually become passionate about finance (or at least fake it), that'd be much appreciated~

None, coz I was once told to take up accountancy because it makes a lot of money. I found out that I hated numbers and refused engineering as well. I took up food science and eventually moved into consumer research and sensory science. I found that I still needed to work with numbers [statistics] but the difference is I enjoy this application of numbers and therefore, I still love my job.

Do I make a lot of money? No, I make enough to live a good life. =)

[EricTheFred]

I can't add to the many well-spoken things posted here in any reasonable way. But I can add something nobody really touched on, on the other side of the equation...

Anime and Manga companies have financial and accounting people, too. Just like the multinational semiconductor company I work for. Companies are highly multilayered things, with many people doing stuff you don't realize goes on there. Not everyone at 'Animeigo' is a voice-over artist. Dubs may be their product, but distribution is their business, and distribution companies must have accounts-payable departments.

If business is what you're good at, perhaps that is where you will be satisfied, but the company you work for, and the passions of the people who you surround yourself with, will have a great deal to do with your level of satisfaction.

I'm an Electrical Engineer. Would I have been better off pursuing my real passions (music and writing)? Possibly. And I still do, on the side. But it has been a pretty cool ride doing what I've done, because of the company I work for and the people I've worked with.

[minakichan]

WOWWW lots of responses so quickly. m(-_-)m thank you very much!

big wall of text by GhostOnTheNet

Erm, hmm... I really firmly believe that money is wonderful and powerful-- HEAR ME OUT for a sec before anyone burns down my house. I honestly could not care less about getting a big house and fancy clothes and stuff (because big house = lots of houseWORK and uh I've been wearing the same clothes for like 5 years and it's not that bad). Also, I don't plan on spawning any offspring to <s>waste</s> spend my hard-earned cash on. I DO need money to 1) pay for my bro's student loans because after my college tuition he's totally screwed, 2) pay for my parents' retirement because at the rate they're going, it's not going to happen otherwise, 3) spend on causes that I want to support (mostly hunger and China; I would also LOVE to found a scholarship for aspiring mangaka, I think that'd be awesome). I just can't do that with no money (OK, someone's going to counter my by saying otherwise; let's just say I would be more effective if I had money).

Plus, this is TOTALLY hypothetical, but if I make a ton of money and live really frugally (which isn't hard for me; I'm AMAZING at living on tiny amounts of money), I can <s>retire early</s> take off work every couple of years <s>and be able to afford to write comics in my time off ^^.</s>

Anyway, Minakichan, always pursue what God wants you to do. We all know that he has plans for us, and I believe that he wants to lead you a certain way. While you may not economically prosper if you went into something like the Arts, he will definitely provide you with what you need to live for his kingdom.

Haha, considering that I ALWAYS have a guilty conscience when I do "artsy" stuff, and I skip church to go to conventions sometimes, I kind of think that "artsy" stuff is the last thing God would ever want me to do. On the other hand, I feel like if I make a lot of money in finance, I can use it to do good. Maybe I'm just simplifying things, in which case I guess I should just pray more.

Why don't you try taking courses in the arts and humanities, especially those that deal with storytelling arts like theatre and literature?

I... probably should have mentioned that (assuming I can actually finish my management degree) I am planning on double-majoring in Comparative Media Studies. That's kind of just for fun, though; I don't think I can get a job with that degree <s>especially since no one knows what it actually is</s>. (buuuut if I fail everything under the sun, I'll probably just get a minor in econ or something.)

But with a BSBA in finance, you could work at a lot of different places. You would most likely be crunching numbers wherever you go, but you could work at a church, like my buddy is doing (who also has a BSBA in finance). Remember, your degree doesn't necessarily set your future in stone. You could get that BSBA and do something completely different than what you planned on doing. Even if finance isn't something you're dreadfully passionate about, it's still not a bad decision--I've heard business degrees are very diverse and make you more marketable as a prospective employee (of course, any degree will do that to some extent).

What I like about business (as opposed to, say, Ocean Engineering) is that there are a ton of possibilities. That was definitely a factor in my decision to go this route. Also, I LOVE math (otherwise I wouldn't be at MI-freaking-T because I HATE science), so I guess it won't be terrible.

Anime and Manga companies have financial and accounting people, too.

I'm really thinking of going into investment banking more than anything else with my potential degree, but yeah, working in something like that would be cool =D I should consider it.

First/2nd question: What are the "any other field of interest" and why is it impossible? I don't think Finance/Management is the only field that makes a lot of money.

Like I said, while I have no interest in finance, I pretty much hate everything else =D As for "fields of interest," it's not something I can study in school and the logistics are impossible, so I won't even mention or consider it.

It only stinks as hard as you make it out to be.

I'm starting to think some of it might just be mind over matter, and that if I stop whining about it, maybe a life in finance won't be terrible.

[ShiroiHikari]

I dunno, mind over matter doesn't work forever.

It seems to me that these days, it doesn't matter so much what you get a degree in so long as you have one. My fiance decided to do Political Science not because he wanted to be a political scientist, but because he needed a degree and PoliSci was actually interesting to him. Now that he's got a bachelor's, it's much easier to find better jobs (well, not in Oklahoma, but that's another story).

You don't have to be dead set on your major from the start. Maybe you could try a couple things and if you don't like them, change your major. It seems a bit too early for you to resign yourself to a career that you probably won't like.

[Raiden no Kishi]

I dunno, mind over matter doesn't work forever.

It seems to me that these days, it doesn't matter so much what you get a degree in so long as you have one. My fiance decided to do Political Science not because he wanted to be a political scientist, but because he needed a degree and PoliSci was actually interesting to him. Now that he's got a bachelor's, it's much easier to find better jobs (well, not in Oklahoma, but that's another story).

You don't have to be dead set on your major from the start. Maybe you could try a couple things and if you don't like them, change your major. It seems a bit too early for you to resign yourself to a career that you probably won't like.

You know, my dad and I were talking about this. Our theory is that the reason businesses aren't terribly concerned with your major so much as that you got the degree is this: if you went to the trouble to get the degree, you have shown that you are willing and capable of putting in a sustained, considerable workload.

.rai//

[uc pseudonym]

An anecdote that would be a lot more meaningful if I could remember the details: There was a CEO of a major company who did a survey of their factory line workers. Though this wasn't the goal, they discovered something interesting. 70% of these workers had, within the first two months of work, calculated the day when they could retire.

From what I've read and seen, most people have jobs that they hate. A great part of me fears that I have set myself up for misery by having interests that don't translate well into careers. I say this in hopes that sympathy will be worth something, as I have nothing to add on top of the many good opinions in this thread.

[LadyRushia]

I think the arts might translate better into careers than many people think they do. I've heard so many people say, "You can't get anywhere with an English degree," and I don't think that's really true. I guess it's like Shiroi said; it doesn't matter what kind of degree you have just as long as you have one. I dunno, I guess I'm more optomistic because I plan on taking my English degree and working for a publishing company or something while writing on the side. I really think it's possible to study what you love and make money off of it.

The most important thing you can do right now is to go to God about it. He's the one who has your life all laid out, after all.

[minakichan]

What do you do with a B.A. in English,
What is my life going to be?
Four years of college and plenty of knowledge,
Have earned me this useless degree.

I can't pay the bills yet,
'Cause I have no skills yet,
The world is a big scary place.

(sorry, I'll shut up now. Especially since I was too busy studying to actually go WATCH that play when it was in the area =D)

[minakichan]

It's been a while, but I thought I'd update. Thanks for all the advice and support.

I just went to Course 15 (Management) pre-orientation. Actually, it doesn't seem like it'll be that bad; I can basically pace my schedule to take 2 Management-required classes a semester (out of 4), leaving me half my time to take Comparative Media Studies (CMS) classes and maaaaaaybe minor in Econ if I feel like it. I'm not too thrilled with how some of these classes sound, but that's OK =D If it didn't at least moderately suck, it wouldn't be college.

I've decided to seriously pursue a CMS second major, and my mom seems OK with it, surprisingly (as long as I do moderately well at this whole Management thing). I know that getting a double in Econ or Math w/ Comp Sci would be better for my prospects. Even if I wanted to get some media/entertainment-related job, the problem I fear is that most people don't expect a tech school like mine to have a good humanities program, so even though the CMS program is really awesome and unique, I don't know... (it's like getting an engineering degree at art school! ok not really XD). I feel a little guilty also because uh, all the courses are... fun classes, the kind that your parents chide you for taking because there's no way they can benefit your future ^^; I feel like I'm wasting my parents' money. To give you an idea: I'm trying to decide what 6 electives out of these I've narrowed down to take...

CMS.841 Intro to Videogame Studies
CMS.843 The Role of the Gamer: Theory, Criticism and Practice
CMS.864 Game Design
CMS.863J Computer Games and Simulations for Investigation and Education
21F.030 East Asian Culture: From Zen to Pop
CMS.888 Advertising and Popular Culture: East Asian Perspectives
21F.039 Japanese Popular Culture
21F.063 Anime: Transnational Media and Culture
21F.595 Cultural Performances of Asia
21M.283 Musicals of Stage and Screen
CMS.845 Interactive and Non-Linear Narrative: Theory and Practice

YEAH AHAHAHAHA.

I still don't know diddlysquat about The Future. CMS is completely useless if I go into something like investment banking or whatever, in which case just having an undergrad business degree really won't make me stand out. (Oh gods... going back to get an MBA? I can't even imagine that right now.) At least college will be fun, but I still feel really uneasy having no plan.