But how can you use the knowledge in the current professional/corporate world? Advisor? company philosopher? the knowledge is valuable but paying the bills too. Always wondered how one can build a fruitful life with degrees like this. Internet has given some options, the current blog is an example. thoughts?
That's a good question. Thank you for commenting. Perhaps the purpose of learning all the classical knowledge, is that it gives you perspective, references to pull out whenever there's a lull in a board meeting and you want to show off your superiority to your colleagues.
But in all seriousness, one shouldn't study Classics to have skills and knowledge to use in the corporate world. There are skills that come along with it. In no particular order: being able to analyse texts and read things closely, to undestand shades in meaning when people are speaking or writing; greater communication skills; enhanced grammatical and linguistic skills which can make you more eloquent and persuasive.
But studying Classics or any literary degree is about filling your soul to better equip you for the task of living. It gives you empathy, references, and shows to any employer that you have vast potential, that you are hardworking, interested in things, and cultivated.
I'm 53 and was an English lit major, which of course isn't the same, but its value is often similarly questioned. Even though I have a job I like, my experience of the corporate world is that it's forever filling my head with junk that doesn't matter. It will not ground me during times of turmoil, offer me wisdom in the midst of uncertainty or provide solace in the face of grief. My training in English lit, though, has served as a foundation with which to meet these difficulties, and this has mattered much more to me than a purely vocational degree.
That said, I do feel like my degree has helped me professionally. I'm in communications, and one of my main duties is to write speeches. My English lit training has helped me to see patterns; the bigger picture seems to be much more available to me than my colleagues. The result is that I'm able to write speeches that get beyond the jargon that most business leaders fall back on and reach people emotionally, which helps bring the necessary messages home.
Also, to Harry's point above, I've also recently taken a class in Applied Mythology for personal interest, but learning more about the hero's and heroine's journeys has helped me to understand how to build a company narrative.
My point in all this is that the history and stories we learn about from millennia ago are still relevant to our world right now. I personally feel that if I'd gone for a straight communications degree, it would've been short-sighted, and I would've had a lot less to offer an employer than I do with my background in rich storytelling. More importantly, my whole life would've been a lot less if I didn't have centuries of wisdom to fall back on. I've had cancer; I've lost my parents. You know what doesn't help with those losses? Knowing how to maximize SEO rankings. You know what does help? Reading Virginia Woolf with great knowledge and expertise.
This isn't to belittle the person's question or concern. It's a competitive marketplace, student loan debt and housing costs are atrocious and, here in the US, getting a job that offers good healthcare (which usually means a corporate job) is quite important. Because I'm so much older than the person who wrote, my experiences could be outdated and irrelevant. But college is the one time in your life when you'll be able to devote yourself to the studies you're most passionate about, and I hope that's a consideration as well.
My apologies for taking up so much space and time, especially when I wasn't a Classics major. It's just that the 'usefulness' of majors is a subject I'm very passionate about.
I thought you were christian.
But how can you use the knowledge in the current professional/corporate world? Advisor? company philosopher? the knowledge is valuable but paying the bills too. Always wondered how one can build a fruitful life with degrees like this. Internet has given some options, the current blog is an example. thoughts?
That's a good question. Thank you for commenting. Perhaps the purpose of learning all the classical knowledge, is that it gives you perspective, references to pull out whenever there's a lull in a board meeting and you want to show off your superiority to your colleagues.
But in all seriousness, one shouldn't study Classics to have skills and knowledge to use in the corporate world. There are skills that come along with it. In no particular order: being able to analyse texts and read things closely, to undestand shades in meaning when people are speaking or writing; greater communication skills; enhanced grammatical and linguistic skills which can make you more eloquent and persuasive.
But studying Classics or any literary degree is about filling your soul to better equip you for the task of living. It gives you empathy, references, and shows to any employer that you have vast potential, that you are hardworking, interested in things, and cultivated.
I'm 53 and was an English lit major, which of course isn't the same, but its value is often similarly questioned. Even though I have a job I like, my experience of the corporate world is that it's forever filling my head with junk that doesn't matter. It will not ground me during times of turmoil, offer me wisdom in the midst of uncertainty or provide solace in the face of grief. My training in English lit, though, has served as a foundation with which to meet these difficulties, and this has mattered much more to me than a purely vocational degree.
That said, I do feel like my degree has helped me professionally. I'm in communications, and one of my main duties is to write speeches. My English lit training has helped me to see patterns; the bigger picture seems to be much more available to me than my colleagues. The result is that I'm able to write speeches that get beyond the jargon that most business leaders fall back on and reach people emotionally, which helps bring the necessary messages home.
Also, to Harry's point above, I've also recently taken a class in Applied Mythology for personal interest, but learning more about the hero's and heroine's journeys has helped me to understand how to build a company narrative.
My point in all this is that the history and stories we learn about from millennia ago are still relevant to our world right now. I personally feel that if I'd gone for a straight communications degree, it would've been short-sighted, and I would've had a lot less to offer an employer than I do with my background in rich storytelling. More importantly, my whole life would've been a lot less if I didn't have centuries of wisdom to fall back on. I've had cancer; I've lost my parents. You know what doesn't help with those losses? Knowing how to maximize SEO rankings. You know what does help? Reading Virginia Woolf with great knowledge and expertise.
This isn't to belittle the person's question or concern. It's a competitive marketplace, student loan debt and housing costs are atrocious and, here in the US, getting a job that offers good healthcare (which usually means a corporate job) is quite important. Because I'm so much older than the person who wrote, my experiences could be outdated and irrelevant. But college is the one time in your life when you'll be able to devote yourself to the studies you're most passionate about, and I hope that's a consideration as well.
My apologies for taking up so much space and time, especially when I wasn't a Classics major. It's just that the 'usefulness' of majors is a subject I'm very passionate about.
Thank you so much, that’s so kind of you