I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone tell me some variation of “Oh, you’re a Political Science major? You’re so lucky, social science majors have it so easy.” I do not deny that STEM majors have it hard- I’m not up at 3 AM learning the intricacies of mitosis, or trying to figure out the solution to the derivative of the inverse tangent of the sin of 4x (is that even possible? I don’t know). What I have done, however, is stay up until 3 AM writing a thirty page paper on regression analyses related to political freedom in Middle Eastern countries, or researching the injustices throughout the world that many of us are so fortunate to not have to experience. The major superiority complex is real, and honestly, it shouldn’t be. What I do is just as important as what you do; our community, our city, our state, our country, our world as we know it would not be here without both of our disciplines.
From what I hear, the stigma against the social science, arts and humanities majors is often the primary deterrent that stops students from majoring in the subject they are truly interested in. If I’m honest, it’s part of why I chose to double major in Political Science and Financial Economics. It’s scary: taking the plunge and choosing to focus your career in an area that is not as stable as others. To help you understand where you can take your career in the future, the Career Center puts together Inside Scoop events to give you an opportunity to discover all of the different career paths you can take within a discipline. They can help you see that the typical or standard path for your major is not the only way you have to go.
Are you a social science major? Or are you simply interested in a Writing Career? On October 3, 2016, the Career Center is hosting an Inside Scoop on Writing Careers, from 12 PM- 1 PM in Commons 331. This event is your chance to learn about different internship and job opportunities you can have in the Writing industry! If you’ve ever wondered “what more can I do with my degree?” or “can I actually have a career and make money with this major?” this is the perfect place for you to get some answers or ideas. Who knows, you might be surprised with what you learn. For example, did you know that being an Underwriter is a potential career option for an English major? If you want a quick rundown of the different things you can do with your career, check out our “What Can I Do With My Major?” sheets here.
The following panelists will be there to answer any of your questions:
SETH SAWYERS (UMBC '95)
Seth Sawyers is a writer whose creative nonfiction and fiction has appeared in The Rumpus, The Millions, Salon, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Sports Illustrated, The Baltimore Sun, and elsewhere. An editor at the Baltimore Review and a former adjunct instructor with the UMBC English department, he is at work on a novel. He also works as a sales writer for a healthcare firm based in Columbia.
JAMAILA BRINKLEY (UMBC '05)
Jamaila Brinkley spent ten years writing technical documents for government clients before retiring to use all of her pent-up creativity to write fiction and raise her family. She is the author of historical romance with a hint of magic. Her first book, ‘Thieves’ Honor,’ released in May 2016 from Soul Mate Publishing.
STEPHANIE SHAFFER (UMBC '13)
A former English and French double-major, Writing Fellow, and Writing Tutor at UMBC, Stephanie is now an editor at iJET International, which provides intelligence-driven, integrated risk management solutions that enable multinational organizations to operate globally with confidence.
MEGAN HANKS (Lehigh University '11)
Now the STEM Communications Manager at UMBC, Megan held a full-time internship at a public relations agency outside of Philadelphia, then went on to work for a different public relations company. She got her first official job at a membership organization for physicians, where she did public relations, media relations and internal communications.
As a student, I find myself constantly losing perspective and sometimes getting too wrapped up in the stress and the workload I have here in college. I have to remind myself that this is all to establish my future and career. That’s why it’s important to figure out where you want life to take you in the future, now. Working towards a goal can help you in the present, and attending one of these Inside Scoop events can give you an idea of what that goal might be.
