When I advise young people—nieces, nephews, kids of friends, etc.—what to study in college, my rap goes something like this . . .
Of course you want to get a job right out of college, and so of course you want to study something like computer science or electrical engineering or or business or whatever. That's very well understood.
But with the rate of change in the world, almost anything that you study from a vocational point of view will quickly be out of date, and you will be on an endless treadmill of keeping up with the latest and greatest.
So you might want to also study something that won't likely change in your lifetime. And what is highly unlikely to change in your lifetime? Human nature. And what can you study in college that will give you deep insights into human nature? Great literature.
By studying great literature, and learning about the unchanging nature of human nature over the millennia, you will be setting yourself up for future leadership positions. And leadership is always in demand, regardless of what the latest and greatest in tech or finance or whatever.
So do yourself a favor, and—in addition to whatever you decide to major in—take as many great literature courses as you can, and take them with an eye for better understanding human nature and its timeless dimensions. Start with the ancient Greeks . . .
When I advise young people—nieces, nephews, kids of friends, etc.—what to study in college, my rap goes something like this . . .
Of course you want to get a job right out of college, and so of course you want to study something like computer science or electrical engineering or or business or whatever. That's very well understood.
But with the rate of change in the world, almost anything that you study from a vocational point of view will quickly be out of date, and you will be on an endless treadmill of keeping up with the latest and greatest.
So you might want to also study something that won't likely change in your lifetime. And what is highly unlikely to change in your lifetime? Human nature. And what can you study in college that will give you deep insights into human nature? Great literature.
By studying great literature, and learning about the unchanging nature of human nature over the millennia, you will be setting yourself up for future leadership positions. And leadership is always in demand, regardless of what the latest and greatest in tech or finance or whatever.
So do yourself a favor, and—in addition to whatever you decide to major in—take as many great literature courses as you can, and take them with an eye for better understanding human nature and its timeless dimensions. Start with the ancient Greeks . . .
This is excellent advice. Thanks for commenting!