# INTP picking a major, oh my



## Azure_Sky (Oct 9, 2012)

*Liberal Arts Degree *edit**

I tend to gravitate more towards humanities because of my need to learn about the human condition and figure out makes them tick. But, I also really like Arts like drawing,animation, and story writing. 

I was told to maybe pick a Liberal Arts degree but have heard that it is pretty useless when it comes getting hired because of the fact that it is a broad major. Then again, a broad major has the ability of covering many different areas within different careers. What do you think? Do you think that a liberal arts degree can expand one's options or limit them?


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## rwm4768 (Sep 9, 2011)

Have you considered doing a double major? Or a major and a minor? I would advise against the liberal arts major unless your intention is to go on to grad school. Yes, it can expand your possibilities, but you ultimately run the risk of graduating with no idea of what you want to do and no real qualifications to enter any more technical field. Personally, I would advise doing two majors that are completely different. That way, you have broader qualifications. From personal experience, I majored in economics and minored in political science. In retrospect, I don't think this was the best idea because I don't want to pursue the majors further and they basically qualify me for the exact same jobs.

You said you're an INTP. INTP's are generally good at math and science. Have you considered maybe doing one major in something more technical and another in writing or something?


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## Morpheus83 (Oct 17, 2008)

What if you major in a technical field (one in which you have no real interest) and don't feel motivated enough to 'use' the degree outside of academia? I'm willing to bet that many employers are able to smell a person's disinterest or lack of motivation from a mile away. Do you think employers are more likely to go for someone who is qualified, competent *and* motivated -- or someone who doesn't really give a damn about the field and is just there to get a job for the sake of paying the bills?

If you should decide to go down the liberal arts route -- then it probably requires more creativity and legwork to apply your transferable skills to an area of your choosing if you're concerned with employment opportunities not directly related to the degree. You might consider voluntary work, internships and/or maybe a postgraduate degree in a 'practical' field of your choosing related to the liberal arts e.g. librarianship, professional writing, etc..

A liberal arts degree is able to expand your options (career?), but since 'soft skills' (e.g. critical thinking, interpersonal skills, etc..) are the focus -- you're going to have to find a way to market them to prospective employers (if you don't prefer the freelancing route). It requires some 'thinking outside the box' to 'sell' certain skills -- whether you're targeting clients or employers.


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## timeless (Mar 20, 2010)

What are you looking to do when you get out of college?


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## koalaroo (Nov 25, 2011)

Azure_Sky said:


> I tend to gravitate more towards humanities because of my need to learn about the human condition and figure out makes them tick. But, I also really like Arts like drawing,animation, and story writing.


I would recommend against a Liberal Arts degree. However, someone mentioned a double major, and this seems like the best of both worlds in my opinion. Some options for you to consider looking into would be art (not a b.f.a), english, psychology, graphic communication and computer science. If you don't want to go the double major route, I think with what you've mentioned that graphic communication might be a good fit.


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## Erudis (Jan 23, 2011)

A broad major is only good if you can use the experience to find your specialty. It can be tough because you'll have to study things by yourself or form a study group specialized in the subject you want to master, because your course won't provide that knowledge.

I've done something similar, I definitely don't regret it, but I saw a lot of people "getting lost" and not knowing what to do about their professional future because the broad major didn't prepare them to any specific career and they didn't try to pursue one while in college too.

I don't advise against a liberal arts degree, but to make it useful, you'll have to work hard.


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## fihe (Aug 30, 2012)

I wouldn't recommend a liberal arts major because it's true that it's difficult to get a job with such a major. of course you want to study something you enjoy, but remember that college is an investment on your future, so you want to choose a major that would give you the best return on investment.


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## missushoney (May 16, 2011)

I'm actually going to do a liberal arts degree. It's because I want a degree and I keep changing my mind about what I want to be. I have 141 credits now and still no degree so it's time. My plan is to go back to school in a bit and pursue a degree in computers since that's something I've always wanted to do. Even if things don't work out, the fact that I have a degree of some sort already means I can go teach English in Korea or another country if it comes down to it. For now I'd focus on what you want to do and maybe take a class in different fields so you can get a feel for what you actually like. If you push yourself to do something you don't like you'll end up feeling horrible and might not have any motivation to complete things or whatever. Don't let it stress you out right now and just spend this time figuring out what works best for you. And have a backup plan so you won't feel like you're pressured into one choice because you don't have anything else you know how to do. Think about what you spend the most time doing and thinking about each day and that's probably where your career should lie or at least something you should think about.

I think once you figure out what you actually want to do then you can try for specializing in something in order to get there.


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## Azure_Sky (Oct 9, 2012)

Thank you all for your posts, I thought they were very helpful. =]


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