Why Are You Studying Your Degree? 

I'm getting existential crisis over a degree that I don't have, I haven't even graduated high school

I'm doing a bachelor of arts (majoring in history and literary theory, minoring in film) and it's a big struggle when people ask me what the use is of my subjects. It's not that I don't think my subjects aren't important and valuable, but we live in a society that does not value art or history unless it's given to them in bite-sized pieces. The world values science, and I can see that in the news when I find out future art students will have to pay double for their degree and science students will pay less, because apparently "arts don't get you a job, but a bachelor of science does.' People have made me feel like my degree is a waste of time and that I'm at a dead end. And it's true, I'm not sure if I've taken the right path, but I know that I'm good at this and I'm passionate about it, and I over analyse everything and see subtle historical impacts on modern society and I see the stereotypes that people find in film. So much of what the world is today is found in history, and it infuriates me when people say; 'why are you studying things in the past, it's the past.' That's not correct, the past is our future, we have to look back to see what and why we are the way we are. So I know, even if others don't, that I am proud of what I am doing, and hopefully I'll be proud of teaching the things I've learnt to my students in the near future.

I don't why I snorted at "you can't take my definition and run with it" it's actually really true, people"want" to discover themselves yet are absolutely terrified of it. It's a easier thing to walk away with someone elses mindset while neglecting their own valuable and unique soul

I just dropped of engineering school... for another engineering school. I live in Brazil and three years ago I was accepted to what's similar to an Ivy League college in America. Started studying to be a civil engineer, I was only seventeen. I faced depression, a lot of anxiety and a bad relationship by my own. Three years later, I gave up. Because I NEEDED to love myself and persue something that was inside of me since I can remember breathing. Next month, I start studying Forestry (it's seen as an eng. here in Brazil) and my future looks brighter than ever. I'm just so happy. I've gotten accepted by a much smaller college and I'll have to move to this much colder place (yes, they do exist in Brazil) to attend classes. But, you know what, I'm happy and I dream again. I feel like I'm going home. To have a career, and to be a scientist, and to teach in a college. To have a masters and a phD (for the first time EVER, I feel like I can chase it). My relationship with my parents it's getting better, actually, because I'm not hiding my true self from the world anymore. I still feel anxious... but from HAPPINESS. There's still hope, it's all I have more to tell you guys.

Your thumbnails are always so aesthetically pleasing

I’m about to start my studies toward a psychology degree in January, I was always curious about how people think and feel, also I wanted to figure out how to help out my mom (she was originally diagnosed with Borderline, but now they think she has schizotypal personality disorder). I realize now after three years since the divorce, she doesn’t want help, but I still I want to pursue psychology, because there are some people who do want help, and I want to help those people at the very least. I probably sound too optimistic/naive, but that’s why I want to become a psychologist.

I'm a computer science fresh graduate, went into this degree because my friend was in it too and I thought this degree would get me a job. All those years in my degree, I gradually start to love it and became better and better at problem solving. Glad to say I don't regret my choice.

Exactly what I’ve been thinking about. I had a conversation with someone recently, in which they stated that the purpose of education is to go work. Schools were built so you can eventually be a working citizen. I just felt something was missing in that definition. Now you put it into words! Education as a means to understand yourself and become a better human being resonated with me. I am in the process of figuring out what I want to pursue (in my first year of college right now) and this isn’t a very easy decision. Thanks for the video!

I'm currently a freshman in my first semester of architecture and I already know for a fact that I don't belong here. I chose this degree because I've been told it's pretty much the "only" safe job out there that deals with art (as said by my family) so I didn't really think much about whether or not I'd enjoy it. In highschool, I got interested in drawing buildings, landscapes, and had fun watching videos about miniatures but I was always just 'meh' about thinking of my course choice. It's just not something I could see myself doing in the next ten years of my life, and this semester has proved that. Don't get me wrong I enjoy learning my classes (I enjoy learning in general) but it is just so draining and the environment is so unhealthy (sleeping late, waking up early, 9 hours of school plus a Saturday class, picky professors, short deadlines and projects needing to be made over weekends, etc.) to that point that I wake up every morning with the feeling of dread, regretting why I'm doing this. I'm planning on switching majors next semester to graphic design. I think it suits me better since it gives me more leeway to be creative rather than technical. I've always been more creative. I like making stories and characters, drawing art and making people feel happy with their commissioned art, and I feel like in architecture I can't express that sort of creativity without getting burdened with complex technical procedures. So yeah, that's my thoughts.

I asked myself this question in 2nd year as an undergrad. I was a business major, but I was completely uninterested in my major. I dropped out and became a Manager for almost a decade. It was not until I was helping one of my employees with their Shakespeare assignment that I even gave a thought to going back to school. At that time I realized that I really just want to spend the rest of my life reading and talking about books. It’s about three years later, and this year I’ll be defending my masters. I’m actually happy that I had those years working as a manager under my belt (I’ve gained a lot of skills that I use everyday). Still, I remember the time when I was going to college just for the sake of going, and I sometimes wonder how my life would have been different if I asked myself the important questions right from the start. Great video!

PSA to incoming college freshman: Don't worry about choosing your first major, it's not going to be your last. Don't be afraid to dabble around and find something you enjoy. You always have time to change until your 3rd year. If you're paying a lot of tuition, find a balance between something you enjoy and something that will pay this back after you graduate. Don't be a fool and do something you despise just to make money in it or impress your parents. So basically, don't pigeonhole yourself and be open to opportunities.

I had once chosen a degree out of passion alone; it was a mistake because I was in no position to contain that passion. Now I'm sutdying something I'm very pasisonate about (literature), but it's also something that feels soothing and safe enough not to become toxic, as well as much much more intellectually stimulating.

I mainly joined med school to help people. As long as I can remember I've been driven by that, but recently it's been really hard to touch on that with sooo much work I need to do, and the uni that I'm in does not make it easy or pleasant whatsoever. But still u reminded me of what I actually signed up for, I am truly happy to study medicine, I just forget how much I love it in the midst of all the chaos. Thaaank youuu ❤.

Damn this came out literally when i woke up to contemplating my choice to do my degree 😢 R.C Waldun out here reading my mind

I'm an adult learner who is looking to enroll in uni for the first time @ 30 years old. A part of me simply wants to have the experience of a post-secondary education. Apart of me feels a post-secondary education is going to be the thing that turns my life around. A part of me feels this way and that way, but I have noticed as I get closer to enrollment that I am second-guessing all of it. The financial factor and the time factor at 30 years old are also toys with me. Feeling lost and confused all over again. Fun times fun times.

I'm studying Ancient History. Why? I decided when I was 14/15 that that is what I wanted to study at university; I liked history, and I knew very little about the Classical world, and what I did know I found very interesting. So that's what I chose as my degree. I'm now on my 2nd year, and I know a lot more about the ancient world than I did before and as such my reasons for wanting to continue studying it have changed. I have a background in studying modern history, and ancient history is such a far cry from modern history, and that's why I love it. When we study, say, the history of the Soviet Union, we know almost everything that happened. It was all written down, all documented while it was going on. In contrast, in Ancient History we only really know the broad strokes of what happened. Literacy was not widespread, so people didn't document as much, and of the records that were made, only a small amount survive today, so we have to balance our knowledge by relying more on material history i.e. archaeology. In modern history, we look at all the facts, and then we come to our conclusions about why things happened. In ancient history, we need to piece together the facts like a jigsaw, argue over whether or not they're actually facts (ofc this happens in modern history but not to this extent) and THEN make a conclusion, if we can (a lot of papers and books I've read have very open-ended conclusions compared to books and papers about modern history, for the simple reason that we don't have enough info to make a definitive conclusion in most cases). And that to me is incredibly interesting.

I'm studying mechatronics engineering and the question 'why' scared the shit out of me in the first year. I'm definitely not a technical and logical person, quite the opposite, I'm in love with people and social causes, I've always wanted to work towards something that could be for the benefit of people, so engineering as I thought of it, didn't really interest me. When I entered high school tho, I got into a robotics club, where we would go into this competition that showed me the true fields of engineering: it isn't just doing industrial robots, there's a lot more we could do and we aren't doing!! So then I thought, what could I do in here, robotics that I've come to love, to work for people? I entered to a uni that allowed me to expand my horizons, and even though I did question my decision a lot on the first year, I started to get involved in other activities, I had the opportunity to do research and work on the biomedical field, I've built exoskeletons for disabled pediatric patients and the look on their face the first time they walked on their own? It's something no one could describe. I'm currently struggling a bit because I know this is what I wanna do, but my country doesn't really support research, so... I'll see what I do haha :) Mechatronics/mechanics wasn't something I had loved from the beginning, it wasn't something I thought I could do or liked to do, yet here I am, one year and a half left, and although I'm not super in love with all my subjects (rly depends on the teacher I guess) it has been such an experience, where I've come to love many aspects of engineering I didn't even think about, and also applying it into something so beautiful.

You posted this in the most timely season. Actually have been thinking about this a lot. It’s so much pressure to decide in a span of a few months what I want to spend the next 4 years doing. Whether I do go to college or not I think I’d be okay, but what I’m not okay with right now is the decision I have to make very soon. Even then I’d have to be ready for the possibility or inevitability of plans changing at rates in which I cannot anticipate. Personally that’s the stressful part about this situation.

I first got a job in a field I didn’t know much about, fell in love with it, then got the diploma (trades). Unfortunately, the field changed so much that my passion for it burnt out (it went from pouring over old maps, cartography, hand written property notes to all being GPS and automated). I’m no longer working in the field but my love of maps and charts has been coming back...maybe history/geography would be a good field to pivot to. Lots to think about, that’s for sure. Great video!

Studying is a part of culture, without culture you don't exist. I want to exist.

I am going to graduate next week with a degree in chemical engineering and honestly I am not crazy about the subject. I just did it because technical subjects are preferred for kids to learn where I am from. I am about to graduate and I have never felt more lost in my life. I don't think I even know the word passion anymore. There's nothing in my life that I am really passionate about. I don't understand why I spent so many years going to school when I didn't really enjoy it at all. I have been a kid with average scores most of my years. Not too good, neither too bad which is not surprising for a person without passion. But what I don't get is people passing by, telling me that I have so much potential and I should avail it. I just smile at them cause I just don't know how and when to avail it. At this point I don't want to do anything.

I’m soon going to graduate with a computer science degree, and I’m so happy that I chose this path. I started studying it because it was a fun mix of math and art (my two favorite subjects in high school). It wasn’t the formulaic style of math I was used to and possibilities were endless like art. It just so happen to also make good money. I kind of went into CS blind, not being a huge computer person. I took some programming classes but I wasn’t studying algorithms at all times. I wasn’t programming every second. I was just an art kid who just so happened to program on the side. As I learned more about CS in college, it just cemented my adoration for the subject. From algorithms to machine learning and operating systems to math based proofs, all of it helped me become a better version of myself. It has made me so much more curious about the world around me and made me so much more ambitious to start my own projects. (How does Spotify’s recommendations work? How can I build my own app? How do phones work?) I’ve also learned that math is so much more than formulas! It’s a shame that for 18 years I thought math was just plug and chug. I now liken math to philosophy. It’s such a beautiful subject. I continue to study computer science because it fuels my curiosity, my drive. It’s a complex field that has so much more to it than formulas. It built computers. It built empires out of ideas. It built universes in our hands. It’s such a wonderful study.

I study fashion design, it's something I've always wanted since I was 14 years old. At some point during my graduation I found myself wondering what my motivation was? Am I still in love with that? And it is a very scary question because people are afraid to admit that they have wasted their time on something that they no longer like. It is very complicated to look back and allow yourself to realize that you have changed and your interests have also changed. So, did I find myself in a position to reframe what fashion design was for me? Behavior. For some people, fashion is simply insignificant, a distraction from what really matters haha. But the truth is that this is a way of taking a position, of showing the world what is important to you. It's not just clothes, it's a way of seeing the world and how you want to be seen

I'm doing a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies as I enjoyed my undergraduate degree and want to go further in my learning. Education, to me, is character development and an opportunity to grow my perspective.

I am halfway through my PhD in Botany. I am doing it so I can contribute to preserve plant species and the environment, and also spread awareness about the fascinating organisms plants are. I also love teaching and plan on becoming a mentor to future students.

The only way I could possibly explain why I want to study English Literature is that the thought of doing something else made me feel empty, inauthentic and brought me to tears many times. It sounds really emotional and kinda dramatic but it's true. I've always loved reading and expanding my vocabulary and love how one can express themselves so freely using words. To be able to string together words into sentences into paragraphs into essays into books and those words having an impact on someone else, making them feel things- it truly is a talent and one I wish to hone.

I always wanted to study the humanities, especially history and art. I started studying Cultural Heritage at university thinking what i wanted to do in my future was working in a museum or an art gallery. During the summer of my first year I participated in an archeological dig just because I needed those points to pass an exam and not because i was interested or anything. After finishing the excavation campaign i knew that archeology was what i always wanted to study. Right now I'm working on the thesis of my master's degree in archeology. All of this said: sometimes you feel like your degree is not exactly what you expected or what makes you the most excited. try to look at what you're studying in a different light: try a course that you don't think you're gonna like, take the opportunities your school gives you, try talking with your peers about the future, change perspective. And good luck 🍀

I used to have passion for physics, but my experience with my university has killed that passion and now I'm stuck at my last year trying to force myself to study a subject I'm no longer interested in, just to get a degree I don't care about

Long time I thought that my passion lies in the studies of English literature. The thought of studying English left a good taste on my tongue and I liked the IDEA of embracing myself in the beauty of the written word, but eventually I’ve come to the realisation that the subject itself never filled me with actual joy and excitement. That’s when I started my search for a degree that lights my soul on fire and ends my longing. I’ve found it, but not in arts as I’ve expected but in the studies of science. In a couple months I’ll be starting my bachelors degree in physics and continue with my masters in astronomy. It feels like I’m in love. Even the slight mentioning of that subject gets me out of my most miserable states of being, fills my belly with butterflies and fuels my desire to learn more about it. I do still enjoy a good book or writing poetry by candlelight but my real passion lies somewhere else and I couldn’t feel more ecstatic now that I’ve found it. I profoundly wish everyone to experience the same.

I had a really strong drive and interest in math/physics/science while in high school, and that completely went away during university. I hated most courses but stuck through the honours program. I just graduated a few months ago, and ironically I'm finding myself drawn to learning & discovery again. Thanks for the great video.

Great video, man! This is something I've mulled over endlessly, and I agree that it is essential for everyone, especially those studying the humanities, to develop their own sound, unshakable answers to these questions. I went into college four years ago as an English major because I felt going to college was simply the next step I was supposed to take. It didn't take long for me to realize how miserable it made me and how little value I was deriving from the countless hours of grueling studies. So I dropped out. And then I freaked out and went back. And then I freaked out and dropped out again. It wasn't until this past year when I went back and switched to political science and philosophy that I've devoted time to answering that seemingly simple question "why am I studying my degree?" And having that foundation to carry me through has been the single most important thing I've done for myself. I've never been more motivated, productive, and stimulated in my damn life! I genuinely feel like the process of working towards my degrees is more important than the end result. I am teaching myself how to persevere, face challenges, question my reality, and dig deeper into figuring out what I want my life to mean. Anyways, I'm not sure if any of this made sense, but I can't stress enough how important it was for my sanity and personal development to figure these things out before I continued to spend my time and money pursuing my degree.

honestly the only reason i'm still at university is to fullfil my mother's wish of me having a diploma since she believes it's very important for my future but since i'm very curious naturally most of things i'm learning at uni don't drain me + i always make sure that in my free time i learn things i truly enjoy for me it's a balance between responsibility and pleasure :)

Not a humanities major, but here's my story. I initially picked to study Neuroscience because I had no interest in the other majors my uni offered. Neuroscience sounded very interesting: a mix of biology, chemistry, and psychology. One year into my degree, I ended up loving it. I enjoy studying biology (or studying in general), especially the human brain, and how it greatly influences our daily behaviors. The brain is beautiful, and it is underappreciated! I plan to be in the medical field (although not sure if I'm up for that commitment) but I can't imagine studying something else. :)

"This is a question a lot of people don't ask themselves" But I ask myself that almost everyday! And I'm getting much closer than if I didn't ask that question

I have actually dropped out of medical school and going to social science. The past few years have been really tough and it got me more time to read and think. I then realized that I don't want to spend the rest of my life studying about human health or taking care of their physical well being. I started taking short courses online and I found the love for humanities and social sciences. Now I am trying to apply for the media studies. I really want to figure out things happening in the world. In a way, I want to make sense of the world why things are happening the way they are. That's my passion for now and I think it will stay put for a long time.

I was fortunate enough to have the privilege and resources that enabled me to major in a subject I'm truly passionate about (English Literature), but it wasn't met without substantial pushback from my parents. Still, I never once doubted the value of doing a lit degree because I just love the subject so much. I'm going to state a potentially controversial view here, but I suspect that anyone who does a degree for vocational or 'practical' reasons will never get the most out of their degree. Thanks for your insights!

we all have this big pressure from teachers and from society that tells us that we need to know what we want to do later... i think we should focus more on what we would love to BE. I’m having hard times accepting that my passion about art is what makes me feel alive. i’ve been drawing and painting my whole life actually. The thing is i’m good at learning languages such as English Chinese... but i know that art is the thing i need in my life. Everyone around me keeps telling me that “it’s just a passion » and that i should do it when i have free time... but i know i won’t be satisfied if i keep it as a passion ... why can’t it become my job? my way of living ? I’m tired of living for others that’s so exhausting

I am going to studying engineering in uni This was decided before I was born , before any of us was born . We have carried this tradition forward since ages . Yes ,I am indian

Funny how i find your channel after going through the worst 5 years of education, where i felt absolutely miserable and lost, but i was "already too far along to quit". I find your channel after finally making the choice to pursue a degree in what i love and what actually interests me. It took me a very long time to discover what i wanted. Glad i stumbled upon your channel 😊

I guess I’m studying philosophy just because it makes me feel really great when I work out what people mean by what they right, when I set out to try and learn a new concept, and feel myself just learning. And I also want to bring something new to the table, not just regurgitate information, purely just because it would be boring to do that, and I don’t want to do boring things. Also philosophy is at the ultimate centre of any discussion, and perhaps any political programme’s principles, so it’s good to be able to see what is being said underneath the actual conversation, or to be able to know how things can be seen to function in the world at a larger level.

I've studied to become a nurse for about 4 years and I'm now a registered nurse, working in a hospital for about 4 years also. This "career" came to be because my parents wanted me to focus on science, because doing that there would give me a bigger chance of scoring a good paying job. The reason I don't regret it is because of the people I knew along the way and the opportunities it gave me to getter better at what I really want to do - which is writing - and getting to develop my poetry skills, somehow. Now I'm just a nurse trying to understand how to make a living through writing here in Portugal. Thank you for all the inspiration.

I am studying pharmacy. I think I like dealing with preparations and chemicals. I also like research in medical fields I wanted medicine, not because it is my passion, but because I get high grades, and my family also wants this, but I discovered that I do not like dealing with patients, touching and blood in general. Pharmacy was the best option for my case.

Oh gosh, I was a history group tutor for my university, and I know exactly what you’re talking about. I worked for 4 professors, and in each class, there was very little direction provided by the professors as to why students should care about the subject. Unfortunately, I had to follow my department’s model for how sessions should be run, which limited how creative and talkative I could be with the sessions, but I always tried to emphasize the “why you should care” to my students whenever I could. I actually remember showing a clip from the Devil Wears Prada (the scene about the blue belts) to illustrate how some of the little details that might not intuitively seem important may help you build a more thorough and complex view of the historical process (it was a proud moment for me 😂). However, this lack of interest in conveying information from the point of view of how it can be practical to learn (instead of a solely hedonistic intellectual exercise) is something that I’ve seen across all of the departments I’ve taken classes in, and I’ve BEEN AROUND. I took a lib arts approach to my education, majoring in psychology and minoring in bioscience and philosophy. My educational trajectory and activities in and out of the classroom were built around trying to build a firm, multidimensional understanding of the world and trying to be open-minded and creative when considering different career options. My wide range of interests made it difficult for me to stick to one thing and roll with it and made it absolutely necessary for me to figure out the “why” early on. I recently graduated with my BS, but I’m still committed to learning as much as I can because I didn’t learn nearly as much as I wanted to or felt like I needed to within my program.

As someone who got an econ degree and didn't enjoy the process at all, there's not enough words in English to stress and highlight how important is this question.

I enrolled into my subject based on intuition. I didn't know much about it, but I knew I liked doing the core skills that are required for the subect. But after studying it for couple of years I realized how much I like it, even if there are bunch of courses which I feel that are useless and a waste of time, that main part of my studies, the most improtant courses drive me to go forwards. I tried thinking what else I could've studied and nothing comes to my mind that would actually make me feel this proud and happy. Honestly, for the past years I've been really isolated and in many ways depressed, however it seemed like the only thing that constatly brought me back from the depths of sadness was the courses that reflected the very essence of my study and made me motivated to continue and gave me a fulfilling reason to exist. Even during the hardest times and even when my favourite courses got so monotonous and boring, I found the energy to pull trough because good quality of the end result was so fulfilling.

I’m ending my bachelor in Geography and I was in a deep crises about what I was going to do after… this video helped me a lot. Thank you, for real ❤

I study botany and more particularly evolutionary botany. I try to understand how plants evolved in island environments. I think I decided to study this because plants surround us but we don't know them after all. I'm fascinated by the plant world and I'm lucky to be able to learn more about morphology, anatomy, ecology, etc. I have always been passionate about the origin and evolution of things. So today, I'm working on a PhD subject and I'm more passionate than ever. PS: I love your channel and the aesthetics of it. (sorry for the mistakes, I'm French ahha)

Hey R.C. Waldun! I am studying oncology... initially i was so excited to study the causes and effects and how I can help make a difference and it also was kind of an ego boost and for the approval for others and being painted in this positive, almost hero light... and the job itself is during social hours. Now the reason why I want to study are still pretty similar but I also want to make sure I give the best patient care, and dive deeper into my curiosity and help make plans that improve the patients quality of life. As i would, if I/ someone close to me were in their shoes. I would want the best and optimal care missing the side effects. I want to be able to educate others and help them. (Note to myself: Who knows you could come up with a breakthrough research that has a very positive impact on many patients lives... because you took the time to put in the effort and expanding your mind with life changing knowledge… either way you will be making such a great difference to the lives of others that are going through such tough times... and that's why I am doing my course). You'll get to travel and present your findings, when you do :) I am so excited!

I feel so lucky to find your channel at the age of 15. Your videos are so inspiring and helpful. ❤️

I’ve just begun working towards my associates in Information Systems Technology. I plan to get a bachelor’s in the field afterwards, though i’m not sure how I feel about everything yet. I hope I enjoy programming and tech subjects later on. I really can’t say for sure at this point. I have thought about switching or feeling like I don’t know what i’m doing. I truthfully just want to do be good in my career and hope I don’t regret this path. I’d say i’m doing it because it will support me financially, beyond what I want even, and I can create things I would be proud. Also, my hobbies of reading and art I can do as side passion projects still :3

The journey of learning to learn is what really interests me. I say it is English literature and reading widely that actually got me into Engineering. I always think back to the phase where I really started building my critical thinking from reading, exploring books, continuously writing and experimenting with ideas. The question this video provokes in the wondering mind is: Once we get the thing that we think we've always been working towards, what then? Or when the situation of a moment doesn't go our way, who will we be? Again a great video and plenty of questions to explore!

Went back to college at 38 yrs old to pursue Medicine. I decided to finally become a doctor based on my spiritual awakening revelation and going back to my childhood years always wanting to become a doctor. Now, as many people know, in the US you need a bachelors degree, which I find a waste, if you are going to become a doctor. So I decided to major in Neuroscience with minors in Physics and Philosophy because the brain is the most fascinating and obscure organ in our entire system. Also, I love humanities and physics and combing them will allow me to understand more the human mind. Now, am I content with wasting 4 years with a bachelors that I won’t use in Med school? No. I did the medical assistant certification and spent those 6 months happy and fulfilled. For the entire program, I studied for 10 hours all the medical concepts and never got bored neither drained. ♥️♥️♥️☺️🙂👽

I'm finishing Spanish Teaching (In Latin America so is mostly literature and advanced Spanish) and I see a lot of classmates that actually don't like reading and that aren't even interested on the pedagogical science of the education itself so... From my end, I come from a long tradition of teachers, being myself the 4th generation. Is what I grew up with and just come as a second nature, seeing my mom not grading papers but analyzing what her students aren't understanding, the research that comes with being a TRUE educator and not just some gatekeeper of knowledge... Pure admiration for the professors I had during high school and my will to contribute to the profession itself, specially in an area I love (literature and language)

I'm a psychology major and an art minor. The reason that I'm studying psychology is that I have always been interested in learning how to improve myself as a person and how to overcome my social anxiety. I also was a art major before but I changed to my psychology major because I lost confidence in myself as an artist and I needed time to find what I really wanted to do with art. I also chose to pursue a psychology major because I wanted to have time to take more of the general education classes to learn a variety of different things rather than one thing. I'm slowly losing my soul over how much I have to write for my psychology, but I keep on trying to tell myself that by writing a lot I am improving my skills and that I will be able to use it later on in life. I'm also not sure if I really want to become a psychologist, but so far I have found that the philosophies and theories that I have learned have inspired me to try to teach myself other things that are outside of my major online such as 3D modeling, coding, and other things.

IMHO, if one studies literature and wants to truly get into the books, you need to know the difference between comedy, romance, tragedy, and satire just as well as one knows the difference between the seasons. I started out in computer science (1999). I did because my dad was an engineer. Then I changed to Business because I didn't really like computers. Then one day I just walked out of my Business class and changed to English because I've always loved writing. In English I found out that the department was more focused on social change and commenting more on political theories than the actually books. It wasn't until I met one singular professor who talked of literature in terms I'd never heard before. He introduced me to the critic Northrop Frye's Anatomy of Criticism. (if anyone hasn't read this, I guarantee that there will be two phases to the way you approach books: Before "Anatomy of Criticism" and after "Anatomy of Criticism". For example Comedy shares a word root with Community, and in every comedy be it book or film, all the people come together at the end and share in a socially binding activity, such as a birth, wedding, or a meal. blah blah blah.... haha.anyway. good video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PFPJXAg4i4Q.html

This was perfect timing. Thank you! I just started my bachelor's in Development Studies two months ago and I am so lost already. The program is so depressing because every day we learn about all the inequalities in the world, all the shit that´s going on in the Global South because of everything that happened previously, like Colonization. I definitely feel like I have to rediscover my Why or I´ll end up with depression...

something about the way he talks is so engaging, I could listen to it for hours

I was a business student. Marketing is my passion, it has always been (I kind of re-discovered it while at uni), I've been interested in the workings of marketing, even though I couldn't put a name to, it since I was young. I've spend many many years at business school but the thing I see over and over again is that the majority of people who sign up for a business course do it because they don't know what to do. They've been told that they HAVE TO go to university even though they have no passion for it. And because they don't know what to do they sing up for a business course because it looks easy. And during the years you can clearly see who wants to be there because those who don't like it study for the sake of passing without really understanding and being critical of the information they receive.

This makes me glad that I took the time to figure out my degree before I declared my major. I feel that it, environmental studies, is something I truly care about and would enjoy learning more about throughout my life. I think a lot of people neglect to take the time to really think about their path, although it is hard with the pressure to go to college immediately and especially if you have financial difficulties...

Literature is what people write down to make sense of what it means to be alive. I'm a chaotic mass of experiences, and there is no way for me to know other people's experiences deeply enough. Literature gives me the ability to discover myself in the indecision of Hamlet, or to show me that my feelings aren't meaningless and have a reality to them. It also gives me a way to know more people - to expand my idea of what it means to be alive in this world. Without literature, I'm unfocused and impoverished

I agree, That the reasons one does something is important; I am a 68 year retired associate degree RN, who hated nursing for my entire carrier including the school. But the one thing that I ended up loving was and is the works of Martin Heidegger that I have been reading for 30 years, which I studied on my own. Why.? Because, I needed to understand history at the level that "R.C. Waldun" does; it just took me longer. I was in shocked and very impressed with your discussion on history. Love your channel and keep up the good work.

Next year I’ll start my degree in environmental engineering and I’m really passionate about it. The thing is that people tell that isn’t a great idea because they don’t know if I would get a good job or a good salary. I had asked people that had studied this career and they have told me that it is difficult to find a good job, but they love what they do. I have heard great stories about people that have lived in different countries because of the career, but I have also heard about stories that are very bad such as they don’t have jobs, they had to study another thing, because they needed to work… I’m very afraid, but here I’m; ready to start my career in environmental engineering and give the best of myself. :) In my life, I’ve liked so many things and had wanted to be so many things. But the single thing that has always last is the care of the environment. The ways to understand how I can help to reduce the environmental footprint and help companies to understand that there is a sustainable way to make their products or at least be more conscious about the overproduction in which we live in. There are more solutions than murdering our planet and in the long term, the reduction of the environmental footprint would not just benefit people, but also their companies. Also, last year I started to find out more about renewable energy and I’m really interested in that topic so I’m planning to study a master’s degree in renewable energies.

I'm studying philosophy next year, and that's exactly why, it's because of the great love for knowledge of one self, of the universe, to look at the universe through the eyes and the thoughts of some other of us men. To me this is enough.

Im studying Foreign languages and Hispanic Studies and i love it. I want to become a writer, travel and leave a mark in this world❤ there are so many things to see, experience and learn. Btw Love your channel!

This was me. I was majoring in chemistry in a vain attempt to follow my Father's footsteps to become a chemical engineer, despite my serious weakness in Math. I paid dearly for it.

I study math because I am absolutely fascinated with it. Because in my junior year of high school they showed us the Mandelbrot set and some of the math for it and it was the most beautiful thing I had or have ever seen.

I am a senior undergraduate double majoring in Philosophy and Mathematics. I love studying philosophy (especially the history of philosophy) because it helps me make sense of the world around me and allows me to see the intellectual origin of many contemporary debates. I study mathematics mainly because I find it extremely aesthetically pleasing (certain types of math anyways). I also feel that if I need to work one day, mathematics might help me find a technical job.

I study Economic Sciences. Before entering university, I was interested in the degree simply because of the job market. At the first semester I had a class called Classics of Economic Thought, and it really opened my mind to the deepness of the subject. Before the Marginal Revolution in the XIX century, Economics was a mix of History, Sociology, Law, Ethics etc. This is the type of economist that I have as a role model. I really want to learn all that there is to learn, and I admit that this was not the reason I chose my degree, but it is the reason I'm sticking with it. Your videos made a really great contribution to this as well. :) Greetings from Brazil!

I'm starting to work as a freelance English teacher (I'm a Spanish native speaker) and I have always been into Physics and other sciences, although I haven't been able to pursue a degree by now; a couple of years ago I discovered my passion for Literature and Philosophy, I also like to read Psychology. I had made myself that question, why I like what I like and who I really am. The conclusion I draw from all this mess of my likes and personality is that I consider myself an admirer of nature; the Universe's nature and the human nature as well; I feel a sort of eagerness, of anxiety for figuring out how the Universe works and why the persons do what they do, either beautiful deeds or horrorful deeds; and how the individual is transformed once it has a role in the society. I don't know if it's a good reason, but it definitely motivates me to still learning everyday, and struggle to quench that anxiety. Greetings from Venezuela !!

Hello! This is your second video that I watched (I come from Why Isn't Learning Enjoyable? video). I like how simple your video looks like, yet they own a very unique charm and aesthetic. Appreciate it how you keep things simple in such a short time. Much love.

Subscribed in the first 30 seconds. It's nice having a content creator who reminds us to look at ourselves again.

Doing my degree because I love reading and the English language. I also hope to be a teacher/professor.

here i am... finishing the last semester of my biomed degree and realizing i've lost all passion for my study area with 0 ounce of motivation to keep going

I am passionate about Philosophy. I am studying for the love of it, not for a particular job as I am a mature student. I am starting my MA in Philosophy after my BA.

I major in "Musicology" (traditional western music history & theory) and minor in "Language, Literature, Culture" (courses in these subjects that you can choose by your own taste). I use my BA to explore the subjects as well as explore my own interests. Unfortunately my musicology degree is very traditional and there are some courses that I don't like (but are mandatory, a typical critucism in curriculum in univeristies in general). I think life will guide me through the process and show me where my carrer will be in future. It may be a piano teacher, artist/producer/songwriter or music journalist, who knows. I just know that my path is more less fine. I just think I need more time to be really sure if the direction.

I am studing industrial design because it is one of the most important parts in design i think. Industrial deisign is about interaction between human and consumerism. It incldes ergonomic, ux and aesthetic.

It's a really good question because I knew why I had chosen English philology before I entered the University. Now I can't remember why I chose this. I still like the English language and literature as a whole, but I feel that lost general deep sense and reason for studying. And a problem not in the sphere of study, but in my motivation, mood, and wishes (I don't sure that I ready to deep studying language and literature). I want a rest, take a gap year, and thinking about what I really want, try to working and earning money so that understand what waiting for me in the future. But I can't so I go with the flow. Thanks for the video and 'Hello' from Ukraine ;)

Very insightful video. I am now going like "Where was this video like 5 years ago???? " :(

Love the video. I study jazz performance and have spent this entire year asking myself this question and beating myself over the head about it. Im currently a junior and spent the first two years of my college experience mostly in a practice room, until as you said it got monotonous. I went to a music school because it was the only thing people took notice of me, but Id be sometimes too afraid to be a part of the community. After a lot of ups and downs im starting to realize the importance of a community of musicians building the scene, and perpetuating eachothers music in camaraderie. This is what excites me when I wake up everyday!

I am currently in a degree I dislike (business) out of the sheer fact that I was placed into it so I can have something. My focus on it goes up and down depending on the day or even the subject. I want to finish soon so I can get into the workforce fast then make plans for a career change. I told my family that I hate the degree so It is hard to see myself finishing it, was told " We all have to do things we don't want to". I can not move as I have grades on the lower end of the national test my country provides. I have no choice, also I tried to move but them the virus hit so my plan flew out the window. But it does not matter; my confusion on future plans are just as troubled as my current plans. So my answer to your question for me is; I study so I can work.

Why we are studying what we're studying is a question that needs to be constantly revisited again and again. I have a BA in English Literature, and I studied it because I love reading and because I was good at it. I didn't give too much thought to what I would do with it in the future. Because it was what I had always done, I decided that graduate school was the next logical step. I started a grad program and dropped out after one quarter, and felt heartbroken because I couldn't understand why, after all these years of loving literature, I was suddenly hating it. It took a while to bounce back from that, but I'm now studying marketing at community college and I absolutely love it. While I was in undergrad I never would've thought I would enjoy anything about business, but now that I'm older and going back to school, I'm realizing that this is something that I'm actually very passionate about. Sometimes, finding your way just takes time.

I'm doing a BA on... Games design. It's a degree that many consider obsolete due to how quickly technology moves and how "easy" it is to start creating games yourself (read: to make something good it takes dedication, discipline, self-motivation and a ton of hard work for years) and certainly it's not the kind of degree that just gets you a job even IN the games industry, but I'm studying it out of sheer curiosity and love for the creative medium (and you know, taking it seriously and building a portfolio that can get me that job). The practical aspects combine maths, programming, art design and narrative design among others while the game studies (ludology) touches on psychology, sociology, narratology and film studies... It is a wonderful subject to dig into if you're the type who is interested in everything and enjoys constantly learning something new. It was a difficult decision to go down this path because so many people expect you to get a degree in something that lands you a well paying job (or just a job in general!), but I know myself and wouldn't want to spend years of my life and all that money studying something I'm not genuinely interested in. It's such a shame that the pursuit of knowledge is no longer encouraged the same way it used to be, education is just a means to an end to pay the bills...

I study psychology, and I love my career. I HATE university and I see it more like an introducction to the subject rather than actual learning, but is a necessary step to work on the field (and that would be different if I was into coding or art). Psychology is not exactly my passion, but I do love it AND I see it as a stable career oportunity. I'm interested in many things: medicine, music, art, martial arts, biology, languages, history, etc; so I think the advice of "follow your passion" would be devastating for someone like me. I study one of the things I love while I pursue other things on the side, and I think that strategy might be useful for a lot of people.

I am completing my bachelor's degree in Food Economics (translation of the original title of my course, which is not in English) next summer. When I started two years ago I had no idea what I wanted to do with this degree, I studied it simply because it sounded interesting. Over the last two years I have realized that I am extremely passionate about changing our food system for the better by making it both sustainable and ethical, while also meeting the challenge of feeding 10 billion people (the earth's population in few decades). I am going to get some practical experience farming during a gap year I am going to take after my bachelor's degree, before I start a master's degree. I feel really good about where my studies are going and I hope everyone finds a degree that does that for them.

I'm in my first term of college, I started with the intention of majoring in finance. I fought and convinced my parents to not make me do engineering, telling them business was my passion. But the truth is idk if business is my passion. I'll admit I like business more than engineering so I've got that figured out for myself. I'm taking three courses this term: economics, accounting and finance. And my least favorite is the finance one. It's scary because next term I'm taking a course that will officially contribute towards my finance degree so there's no going back unless I don't mind wasting that money and switching majors later. And that's really not my decision anymore because my parents are paying for my college. It feels like I have no time to think things through. I'm studying online so I can't sit in on other classes and see for myself and I think I pushed it enough with my parents by telling them I wouldn't do engineering no matter what. So right now I'm trying to desperately self-reflect and understand myself. What I'm having a hard time trying to figure out is if I just hate the professor and the way he teaches OR if I dislike the course because it's actually demanding more out of me than the other two courses OR if I actually just hate the subject. Moreover, other thoughts have crept into my head, I'm looking one step ahead, I'm wondering if there's something I like more than business. I like making RU-vid videos, I want to work in the entertainment industry. That is something I can wholeheartedly say but am in no position to be able to pursue full-time. Well, anyway I'm not a good writer as you may find this reflection was kind of scattered but I just needed to put it out. Thank you for reading, check out my videos if you'd like x Pooja.

Watch Cal Newport's video "'Follow Your Passion' is Bad Advice," or, better, read his book "So Good They Can't Ignore You"

I'm going to study Accounting in my college, in a few months and I'll study it to become more financial literate. At first, I also just considered this course because many people say I'm good at math and Accountants earn quite a lot of money but after thinking about it in my current gap year, I've changed my mindset. I shouldn't think of the title and material benefits i may get from finishing this course, but to study in order to learn and gain knowledge from the subject that I can apply in my life.

I'm studying biomed because it's very interesting to me. I love to learn about it and be engaged in all the theory and learning. I used to think about maybe becoming a doctor but I realised that it's more of a forced idea of what to do with medical degrees. I realised I don't know what I want to do with biomed yet, but I do know I like the subject and hope to work in the field.

Thank you so much Waldun for inspiring me to think of this tricky question. I'm about to start my BA course this year and when I think of this question I feel like probably the goal or the career I want doesn't really require such a degree. Good question :) It's the question that I should think of at this point of life. Thxxxxx

When I realized my purpose while going to college the experience was extremely better. It was two years of monotone classes and as soon as I had that convo with myself boom! A whole degree in English that matters to me

I'm entering college next year and planning on majoring in business or economics. I'm drawn to business because of its focus on real-world problem solving. Most things I'll learn in class I can also apply to business side projects I'm working on, or view how business principles affect local entrepreneurs, large corporations, etc. But the discipline also has a theoretical side of (economics) which I find fascinating. Also on the career side, most business jobs pay comfortably and, this is the big reason I'm drawn to it, intellectually challenging. I want a job that's dynamic, where I can innovate with a group of smart peers. Definitely an interesting question to mull over.

I'm a freshman right now majoring in Russian language and literature. It's not my first option honestly, I wanted to go French language and literature instead of this one but I think that's fine since it's still has ' literature' on it. Although I'm still thinking to change it soon. Yeah, I think that's it 'literature'. This thing, this whole concept of fiction with a broad perspective, is what gotten me into this major. As a child, I always fascinated by how story could inspire me a lot. It's teach me how to think and imagine at the same time. As I get older, reading is not just something I do for the purpose for entertaining my self, it goes beyond that. When I dig deeper into what I'm reading, it shows to me the complexity of the world that surrounds myself, the world that has been intriguing me all these time. Literature in this thing shows me in a different perspective, literature give me a whole complexs system of fiction. Sometimes I could read fiction about marriage and adultery problems story in 19th century and I also could grasp more than just that in a book. It goes beyond. It's like a world but it has another world in it. I could grasp the character minds, how it works, and somehow literature give me chances to reflects it back on my self on my surroundings, on my environment and my real word. The amazingness of literature gives me the impression of outside world that I never touched with my own hand, but literature give me tools to touch it my my mind when I read. I think that's all why I study my degree right now, although right now tbh I feel honestly like I'm trapped into situation where I do love it but idk if it will good for me in the future. Despite my reason for the love for this degree, this whole thing, there's come up time when peoples voices are going back and forth into my mind asing me whether this degree worth for my self, should I change my degree into practical one like law etc. It's keeps coming back to me, and i dont see a reason why i should be bothering by those voices of people while im at the first place already fall in love with this major. Idk why but i still does everytime, thinking about others opinion. I should learn more on this thing i think. But overall, i love what I'm studying. It's make my self feel im doing something and taking something meaningful in life. Thing that's covered in a such beautiful perspective on how seeings world that we can't even touch every whole thing that lay beneath it. Thanks for making this video! It's really helping my self!

I'd be very interested to hear you talk about reading books in their digital version and how would it work compared to its counterpart. Especially in this digital age, most books are now just being taken online and some readers (like me) have a hard time absorbing the information on our screens.

That's it. Deep, short and sweet. Perfect ending for this week, very well structured and presented, really got me thinking. And the aesthetics of the video bring a certain warmth to it all. Good job!

Life is just like that. A lot of us go through life acting like we know what weir doing, but in reality weir all kinda just making it all up as we go. The understanding that we are human and that we are imperfect is what unites us.

I admire young kids pursuing their degree in the arts. I’m 28 & picking school back up to finish my degree. I’m going for an associates in fine arts and transferring to a larger university for English lit. It took me along time to give myself permission to do this. I’ve spent the last decade undecided, starting and stopping “real world” degrees ultimately quitting because I was so unhappy and frustrated. I definitely did have that mentality where if I didn’t get a “real” degree than I would be judged. Especially since I have a child people expect you to be more serious in life. What I’ve learned is I’d rather have my child see me happy and motivated in school than opposed to him seeing me complain about it. What kind of example is that? I love what I’m learning so much, I share the content of my lessons with my 7 yr old. It makes for some interesting conversations between the two of us lol!! I love it! So keep going kids, don’t let the “wiser” adults get you down and sway your judgement. Be true to yourself and y’all will have a much happier and fuller life.

I'm taking English Language Studies. I took is because it could be a supplement as my pre-law and at the same time my passion for writing was rising; that to perhaps learn to write better was to learn the system where I move in. Though being in the process now, it's fairly easy to forget my causes bcoz moments get you carried away with all the stress and the pressure. But this was a great opportunity to look back at my roots. Your videos have been helping me a lot! Great time spent on this one. :))

I'm currently studying music majoring in voice, my main goal at first was to study humanities for my senior year in high school because I personally like history. But I am more attracted to the idea of communicating through the art of theatre via acting, singing, production . Ever since my first workshop experience it opened up a door of multiple possibilities on what I could do as person with artistic pursuits. For college I may as well go for theatre because it has been stuck in my head for a long time.

I started university 3 years ago. I started off approaching education as a tool to leave on my own. Nothing to do with education. I was on the road for pre med but I really enjoyed literature too. In highschool I was always reading. I discovered Haruki Murakami and Herman Hesse and hated how they approached literature in school so I never persued it. In second year I took a many philosophy courses. Some courses were good but I found myself drowing in work. I am not a big fan of reading to write papers and get grades. The disscusions were great but I feel hollow in my class. It felt like I was the only one contributing to disscussion. I then took a philisophy of mind course and was hooked. I found a person in the class whom I would have constand discussions with. I started being interested in the mind and consiosness. Now I am studying Neuroscience and have been loving it. I study it to uncover the deep questions we have about consiousness. I love reading writing and philosophy but I approach those in my own time. Those things hold a very special place in my heart and I approach new books and ideas in my own time sometimes I am scared that the rigorousness of the sciences is impeding on my ability to understand more abstract concepts Maybe that would be an interesting video for the future

Really wish I had taken the time to think about this at the beginning of my studies. Thinking about this now that I've graduated, I feel like I would've enjoyed my classes a lot more and I feel like I've missed a lot of opportunities to grow as a person and as a professional