My partner majored in finance. He attended our university’s business school, and naturally made a lot of friends through his classes and clubs.
Well, I was in the arts program. History, to be specific. I liked to call my major a “passion major” versus my partner’s “practical major.” I guess you can be passionate about finance, but let’s be real. One of these is practical, the other isn’t (as much). One of these is interesting, enriching, expansive, and creative, and the other is finance.
I’m just kidding (kinda), don’t get mad at me nerds. Take solace in the fact that you probably, definitely make more money than me.
Anyways.
Being around my partner and his friends made me realize something. He was extremely well equipped for life after graduation. His business school gave him internship opportunities, valuable connections, resume workshops, interview coaching.
What did we, lowly arts students get?
In my four years in university, I got ONE email about a resume workshop. It wasn’t even an event through the arts department.
So, yeah, arts students are second class citizens. We’re forgotten in the graduation preparedness department. I often wonder where I’d be if I didn’t have my business-y friends to help me know where to look.
It’s disappointing, really. Sure, business students typically pay more in tuition, but an arts degree ain’t cheap! And we still need to know how to optimize a resume, sell ourselves in an interview, and network effectively as much as the next guy.
So please, as an open letter to my university, any university: give other departments equal opportunities for success. We should have the same resources available to us as your beautiful little business babies. We want the same chances of becoming an office drone as anyone else.
