My degree: choosing my happiness

Choosing the degree you want to do, the subject you want to specialise in can be a stressful time, for me, it wasn’t. I knew I wanted to go into a writing degree as soon as the process of applying to uni began, some may say that’s lucky, or just prepared, but it was simple. It was simple because I chose to do something that I love.

I can’t tell you the amount of people that have questioned me on my decision: ‘Creative writing, what job will that get you?’ And perhaps you are reading this thinking the exact same thing, and maybe it isn’t the most job alluring degree. But in all honesty I would rather spend the next three years of my life studying something I love, that I can experiment with and flourish in. Rather than something such as accounting, business or law, which are all incredible subjects but are just completely not me.

It is a subject that has introduced me to so many new writers to be inspired by, to new genres I wouldn’t have considered writing before, it has taught me so much already and isn’t that the point of university? I look back to high school and college and think of some of the subjects I disliked, I got lower grades in those topics because I didn’t want to study them. I am now doing something I enjoy so much and I am doing well and most of all, I am happy.

What inspired me to write this blog post today was a customer at work asking me about what I do at university and rather than rolling her eyes, or putting me down she seemed so interested and positive. It reminded me that I didn’t go to university to get a job or to fulfil someone else’s dream, I did it because I wanted to. And yes, maybe they’re right and maybe I’m just being naïve, I’ll go out into the big bad world one day and regret doing a creative writing degree that will never get me a job. Or maybe I can use the tools that I have learnt and put them into something I enjoy doing.

Don’t forget that university isn’t the only option, everyone is different and shouldn’t follow the same path. And please remember that your own happiness is a lot more important than a rich payslip.