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Yes, I’m a Media Studies Major: Part 1

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Part 1: The Explanation

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So what is Media Studies you ask?  I’m hoping that by laying out, once and for all, what my major is I can finally help people understand that I am NOT just sitting around watching TV for my college major.  While that is true I watched Parks and Recreation for class once, it is not what I spend my entire day doing.

At its most basic definition, Media Studies is the academic study of culture and mass media.  So while this does include talking about and analyzing TV’s and Movies, this is not the only thing in the field.  We talk a lot about news media, social media, and evolving forms of “new” media.  Basically any form of communication in our rapidly evolving world is up for grabs.

But what is more important than any one media form is the academic part of the definition.  We are constantly grappling with what does media mean in our daily life?  How does media reflect what we value as a society?  How are political, economic, and historical systems affected by media?  How does the media reveal inequalities and gaps in social consciousness?  How can media be a force for change?  It is so much more about psychology and philosophy than people would expect.

In a world post-2016 election, I think is imperative to understand the role that media plays in our society.  We saw its massively powerful impact firsthand.  I want to study media because it seems to be a gap in our consciousness.  We spend large chunks of our day consuming media.  Since it is so integral to our daily life, I think that it really warrants further study to know how it is impacting us.

I have been asked before if my degree will be obsolete in 5 years because media is changing faster than academia can really keep up with.  But I don’t feel that is the case.  A Media Studies degree is giving me a valuable analytical toolkit.  As I prepare for a career in entertainment, I will be able to understand the current state of affairs and hopefully predict where the media world is going.

I am a huge media consumer myself.  To be a part of the conversation and to understand how this world that I love works will be invaluable going forward.  I never thought that I would be able to combine my passions for media and analytics in a degree but here you have it!  I just hope that I can continue to be an ambassador for the field and its value into my professional career.

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An Indecisive Narrative

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I am certainly one of those college students who changed my mind about my major hundreds of time. There was even a short 10 minutes when I considered the 3-2 Engineering program–spoiler: that was NOT going to happen as you have to plan for that starting day one. I came to Scripps wanting to be an Economics and Politics major, but quickly changed my mind. Neither were really my passions and I especially did not enjoy my politics classes. The question was: now what? And trust me, everyone was asking.  My friends still tease me about my major selection process, and I have to admit that it doesn’t feel good to feel like the one who doesn’t have it all figured out. Unlike me, my best friend always knew she’d be a Neuroscience major and my boyfriend always knew he’d be a Computer Science major–I felt like the odd one out.

It took some stumbling along the way, but taking Arabic really shaped what I wanted to do. I wanted to somehow incorporate Arabic into a major because I love it so much and want to keep learning about the language. At first, I thought to do Late Antique Medieval Studies through Pomona, but eventually have decided to do Middle East & North African Studies because more language courses can count towards that major, so I can study Arabic for longer and go abroad easily. I had actually stumbled into doing a lot of the requirements and those politics classes that I thought were a waste counted as electives. Phew. That took a while. But I wasn’t satisfied.

Gee thanks, XKCD....

Gee thanks, XKCD….

Last summer–at the tail end–I switched into an English class. I had never once considered studying English in college. After all the talk about how unprofitable it is, I don’t think it once crossed my mind even though I absolutely love literature, arguments, and reading. English, of course, is perfect for me. I get to pick apart texts and read fantastic literature for homework! I have had great experiences with Scripps English faculty and am enjoying my very first Pitzer class as well.

However, then comes the inevitable question I always dread: so….what’re you going to do with that? I’m not completely sure. I want to go to law school and English lends itself really well to law. Learning a second language is a good and marketable skill, so I can easily sell my Arabic skills. But should I have to? I am challenging myself and learning in a way that makes me happy and fulfilled. Scripps prepares well rounded women who can learn to market their liberal arts skills.

If you’re considering an “unprofitable” major, my best advice is to go with what makes you happy. I didn’t decide to be an Economics major because I wasn’t excited by Economics or the job prospects that many of the Scripps Economics majors have. It’s not my thing. If you’re doing a major that isn’t your real interest because you think it’ll lead to a good career, think about what those careers are and why you want to pursue them first. I’ve had Scripps students say things to me like “English majors like you are the reason Scripps doesn’t make as much money [in donations],” which is not true. Some people will be negative about your choices, but that doesn’t mean you should stray from what makes you happy.

You study here, right?

You study here, right?

In fact, you may be much better at selling that Anthropology major that you adore than the Computer Science major that you feel rather meh about. Remember that you can always take Statistics, Economics, Accounting, Computer Science, etc courses to put on a resume without having to really commit to a major that you’re unhappy with. Stay true to yourself and your goals and be okay with those things changing. College isn’t where we have to figure it all out, but it is a unique opportunity to learn and grow in the way you choose to.

Declared!

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For awhile now, one item has stayed a constant on my to-do list: “declare major.”

Ever since I can remember (so apparently since I first learned what college was, how majors worked, and what options there were for majors), I have wanted to major in English. For awhile in high school, I’d go through my “double major phases.” For instance, after I got back from studying abroad in France, I was definitely going to double major in English and French. And then I went through an American history phase, and I wanted to double major in English and History. And then English and American Studies. And then English and Religious Studies. ..You can probably continue the pattern yourself.

When I actually got to Scripps last year and started fulfilling my general requirements, I realized that the one constant in my academic life has been my desire to be an English major and that I’m not really equally passionate about one other subject enough to double major in anything. Once I had this realization, I have been quite content with my decision to have one major, and to have it be English. (I’m apparently the exception to the general rule that you will change your intended major before you graduate.)

Since this decision was firmly made, in my head at least, I decided that I might as well declare now rather than later and just get that paperwork out of the way.

Last week, I finally filled in my forms, talking to my British Literature professor Matz to request him to be my advisor, and turned all into the Registrar’s Office, which as far as I can tell means I’m officially an English major.

One decision I made while looking over the requirements for the major again is to pursue the Honors program. I do like challenging myself, but I mainly want to try for Honors because it is recommended for those students interested in going to graduate school, which I think is a definite possibility for me. I kind of see it as a “why not?” option; I’m only majoring in one subject, with no minor, so I do have the time to devote to my English studies. I talked it over with my advisor, and he does think it is a strong possibility for me.

Although one’s major often has nothing to do with their future career, whether intentionally or accidentally, for me it is very much the first step towards my life after school.

My love for English has a direct correlation to the careers I’m interested in, because those careers are basically defined as anything that has to do with literature (book criticism, publishing, anything that involved writing, etc.). I see my major as a way of building a solid foundation for my future internships and jobs, while also having the option of electives so that I can concentrate a bit more in the specific areas I’m interested in. This major can supplement that “self-education” I spoke about in one my earlier posts (or vice versa, I suppose: my self-education supplementing my major)—for instance, how could one successfully judge a book through a review without a basic knowledge of literary history, “classics,” and other writers?