Going to college today you meet a ton of people who are studying what they're studying primarily to make money in the long run. I'm not writing to knock that; that said I'm sure I'll end up criticizing making education a means to money implicitly throughout this whole post.
Up until this semester I was a physics major. Then classes rolled around after summer and I realized just how much I didn't enjoy most things related to the subject. I'm good enough at this point in time to see the major through, but I have no wish to inflict that pain on my psyche.
More to the point I'm writing this post to avoid writing a lab formal. Either way, I have no regrets about dropping physics.
It's true that having a degree in physics impresses employers in some of the fastest growing and best paying fields around. But all that translates to for me is spending more time doing something I don't enjoy, after graduating with a degree in something I have only a superficial interest in.
Also, while it's possible to be bad at something you enjoy, it's very hard to be good at something you don't enjoy. Sticking with physics would limit my contribution to society because I would be looking to avoid work, not to do it.
Rumor has it that there are people that enjoy physics. Maybe I've even met a few, but it's clear that I'm not one of them.
I know I said I wasn't going to straight out attack doing a major for money, but some Majors are hard to defend. Has anyone really felt passionate about Sociology? And what even is Business?
Understand that this is now a philosophy major speaking, which is right up there with a classics degree in terms of practicality, even with my physics concentration tacked on. I've heard some people say it makes you look "unique, cultured, blah." The great thing about being a philosophy major is that the practicality doesn't matter. All that matters is that you're paying 10 grand a semester to ask hard questions and get few answers.
It's not improving my argumentation skills either.
But seriously, I've enjoyed philosophy from day 1. Breaking that down is more room than I care to take up, particularly towards the end of this post, but suffice to say that I want to spend time understanding how to live as opposed to being forced to live a certain way to make a passing grade.
In my case, sticking with physics could very well have decreased my value to myself and society in the long run, and while I can't speak for anyone else, there is a good deal of risk inherent in dedicating any part of your life to something you don't care about.
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