Summary of the Your College Major May Not Be As Important As You Think by Bissonnette - Article Example

Bissonnette talks about the common belief that a person’s economic success is greatly affected by his choice of major in college. This, as the essay points out, is a misconception based on actual surveys relating one’s college degree to his earning capacity that concludes, “it’s really not all that important” (Bissonnette para.6) The most common point of comparison lies among business majors and liberal arts majors. Most parents urge their children to take up something related to business such as Finance based on the belief that an education geared towards the fine arts would lead to a lifetime of poverty.

The author gives four reasons why going for liberal arts is a great choice. First, studying something you love will lead to higher G.P.A.’s which also leads to better career prospects, second, it develops communication skills necessary in almost any career, the third, job demand is constantly changing anyway, and fourth, it yields an overall better life experience when you go after something you enjoy. The article cited surveys such as one by Daniel Hamermesh from the University of Texas who compared career earnings and found no significant difference.

There was also a survey by Payscale Inc. between History majors and Business majors also finding no difference in earning capacity. Finally, the author concludes by reassuring parents that they should allow their children to pursue their passion as this will lead to a bright future when coupled with talent and good work ethic.