Please Be Honest: Major I Want to do vs. Major That Will Support US?

[MoOnFiReGlOw]

Mmmk, so here is what is going on. Right now I'm a Theatre major (costume design) and I LOVE it! I'm really good at it and haven't run into anything I can't do or that didn't come to me easily. We are, however, switching schools. The new school has a Registered Nurse program with an optional midwife certificate that I could do.

The reason why we are transferring is b/c my husband is a medical wreck. He has two lower lumbar torn discs and chron's disease. I could very easily see him as not being able to work in the near future.

Now here is the hard part, do I stay in the major that I love and hope that things fall together, or do i go with the safe major (which i know is going to be a lot of work for me), and know that even though I have to work at it, when I'm done I'll be able to support the family?

I'm really torn here guys, I've talked to advisors and they aren't much help. I know in my heart I'd love to stick with theater, but the pay isn't tops even if I do end up catching a break..

so what do you think??

[Jenne]

I voted "other" because my first thought, just looking at your poll, before I read your post, was, "Why not major in nursing and minor in theater?" That way you have the best of all worlds. But then I read your post and from what I have read in the birth professionals forum I don't think midwives make much money. I could be wrong but I think I have read that several times. Nurses on the other hand, I think do make good money depending on the type of position and hours.

I am a big fan of doing what you love and the money will follow, but I do think it is responsible to have back up plans. If you minored in theater you could pursue that and see how things go. If it works out, great! If not, you'd have the nursing to fall back on. Or you could do both part time.

Or you could get a job in a completely unrelated field like lots of other people and discover that your true calling and passion is slug hunting or banana grafting!

I do think no matter what you choose that you should make sure you are happy.

Best of luck!

Jenne

[Drummer's Wife]

I voted Theatre because I really think you should only go into nursing if you are really passionate about nursing.

Since Theatre is your passion, I'd probably stick with that BUT I'd finish with the understanding that the chances of finding decent paying work after graduation, may in fact be slim.

[helianthus]

I voted for nursing, because I have a collection of degrees and jobs under my belt. The degree that has gotten me the most jobs? Engineering. And I did not really like it. But that degree proves to people that I have a set of quantitative skills, and that has been invaluable in getting jobs and in starting my own tutoring business. I've since gone back to school for slightly less-useful degrees (ecology and geography) and I feel good about that, since I know I can always put my quantitative skills to good use and find a decent job. And I'm the sort of person who, psychologically and physically, likes to have a safety net. But you may not be like that--you may be much more inclined to pursue your passion, which is great!

At the end of the day, though, you have to decide why you're in school: to get a better job (or better paying job), or to really learn and develop your own talents and interests? Both are very good reasons for being in school (and ideally they would overlap), but only you know what motivates you to be there. If your heart isn't in nursing but you want a degree that offers more stability than theater, what about teaching or engineering? I think the idea of minoring in theater is a great one, too. You can always keep theater in your life, through community theater or other routes.

Good luck! Let us know what you decide.

[GuildJenn]

What I would want to know (and I don't know) is how important a theatre degree really is in landing a job, especially in costume design.

I'm guessing it would be easier to get a job in theatre with a half-completed degree or minor in costume design than it would be in nursing with no degree. So I'd do nursing first, and maybe complete the theatre degree later while working if you find the lack of degree is a barrier. It seems like they might complement each other (I may be naive) in that you could pick up shifts nursing in between theatre gigs. But I don't really know, just guessing.

[Carita]

ITA with doing a double major or a minor in theatre. Are your advisors just general advisors or are they in your major. I think you really need to talk to your professors and see what kind of theatre contacts they have. If you have some professors that have great contacts that can land you a job, its worth it to spend the extra effort to keep the minor or do a double major. I do understand that nursing you have to have a passion for. I wouldn't do it unless you really thought you might really enjoy it.

I chose my major/minor based on what I could do with a degree and not. My mnor could always be a second job or a volunteer job that I love, but my major would provide me with a job (and I loved it too, and it was easy, but not as interesting or challenging). In the end, I found a career that combines both! and I couldn't be happier!

[plunky]

I voted "other" because I think this is something that only you can decide. When I was young, I got a degree in a liberal art, and it has served me well in a general way. I don't have a job directly associated with it, but I feel that I use that degree every day regardless...when I critically think, when I problem solve, when I write.

If I were to go back to school now (in my 30's), I'd only go to increase my job marketability. I think the choice for you requires you look at your life and where you are now.

[EFmom]

If you are interested in nursing, I would do that, but if you aren't, I'd spend some time thinking about what I'd like to do that could support my family.

I personally wouldn't major in something that I knew wouldn't really help me employment-wise. I know tons of people who studied theatre, some of whom were really talented. I don't know anyone who makes a decent living at it. I know several people who patch together low paying part time theatre-related jobs with other low-paying part time jobs to make ends meet. If I knew I'd be supporting the family, that's not the way I'd choose to do it.

I work at a university and I know that academic advisement is a touchy business. If our advisers are honest with students about areas of study that are not useful for employment, they run the risk of incurring the wrath of the faculty in those departments. The faculty often aren't much better because departmental funding is tied to enrollment.

[Drummer's Wife]

I was thinking about this some more, and I want to change my answer to other. I still say if you don't really want to be a nurse, don't go to nursing school. It's a lot of work, (not to mention most programs are either hard to get into, or have lengthy wait lists) new grads are having a hard time finding a job, and once you do get hired, it can be a very challenging and draining career (rewarding, too, but I think you should only do it if you've thought long and hard about it.)

BUT, I do kinda think that maybe a degree in Theatre is somewhat useless - said in the nicest way - just because chances are you will end up working in a different field, --if you truly need a job for money, benefits, security. AND, I would guess many of the people designing sets, or costumes, or most of the theatre related positions don't have a degree in theatre - or if they do, it may not be what necessarily landed them the gig. But you would know better than me, I'm just rambling.

I think if you had compared any other degree with theatre, I would have said go for what will make you employable. But I think I just have reservations about recommending nursing as a profession, if it's not something you really, really can picture yourself doing.

[faithsstuff]

we all know that life can be tedious and how much we give up for the betterment of our families. If theater is your passion, then do it! We feel giulty following our passions and resentful and wasted when we give tem up. Follow your joy. You may have to think outside the box when it comes to money, but you will when the time comes.

[GoestoShow]

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Edited by GoestoShow - 12/17/10 at 9:09am

[annekevdbroek]

Nursing. In the grand scheme of things if you can't support your family you are going to be a whole lot more miserable than if you can't do costume design. Also, I can imagine that there are ways to work in costume design as a side career with local productions or whatever while being a nurse. I probably would have answered this question differently back when I was getting my interior design degree, before I went back to school in a totally different field (that I liked...) that actually had a viable income potential.

Since you mention your husband's health status - I've got to stick with the nursing answer (or some other equally secure income producing field). There are many different things you can do with a nursing degree, it isn't all bedpans and giving shots or whatever.

[Labbemama]

That is true, career counselors should advice people that they will have several careers over the course of their lifetime.

I would encourage you to take classes in both with a focus on getting something short term that will help you pay your family bills and then something that you are passionate about that will light your fire and keep you going. Good luck!

[Alyantavid]

Originally Posted by GuildJenn

What I would want to know (and I don't know) is how important a theatre degree really is in landing a job, especially in costume design.

I'm guessing it would be easier to get a job in theatre with a half-completed degree or minor in costume design than it would be in nursing with no degree. So I'd do nursing first, and maybe complete the theatre degree later while working if you find the lack of degree is a barrier. It seems like they might complement each other (I may be naive) in that you could pick up shifts nursing in between theatre gigs. But I don't really know, just guessing.

That. But I may be a bad one to respond to this because I still can't decide what I want to do that will support us.

Originally Posted by Drummer's Wife

I voted Theatre because I really think you should only go into nursing if you are really passionate about nursing.

And that too. I really think to get through some of these medical degree programs, it takes alot of commitment. If it isn't something you really want to do, I think people tend to struggle.

[Caneel]

I am not a person that feels one's profession is the end all, be all key to life happiness.

I view a profession as something one does to support the family and lifestyle you aspire to have for yourself.

Does this new school have any other programs that interest you?

From what I know of it, nursing school is HARD and not a good path if you don't have an interest in that field.

What about finding a career path that will provide you with the income you need and then do your theatre thing as a sideline or hobby?

FWIW - I know several people with theatre degrees. None of them work in the field. My cousin has his masters, lives in NYC, works in the business acting, building and designing sets and still can't feed himself.

[blizzard_babe]

Double major! If you plan it out correctly, your nursing courses will count as elective credits in your theater major, and your theater classes will count as elective credits in your nursing major. I double majored in two VERY separate areas and graduated a semester early (well, not officially. I finished courses in 3 1/2 years and wrote my senior paper that last semester... and took a sprinboard diving class ).

[MoOnFiReGlOw]

Thanks guys for the help (and I'd appreciate any more opinions that are out there!). Nursing isn't a new thought for me, I've always had it in the back of my mind as I have been in the hospital a LOT with my hubby and gotten a pretty good idea of what to expect. I've even chatted with a few of them to get a better idea of what I would be getting into The coarse load is a bit intimidating for me because of trying to balance school with three boys and my hubby who is also a full time student, but next fall when we will be switching schools two out of three boys will be in school so I'll have a bit of breathing room.

Theatre/Art has always been a passion of mine that I have always been able to do. I know of a couple places I could go after getting my degree, but making a career out of it will require a lot of moving at first and I don't know if I could put my boys through that!

Either route would require me to apply to their respective colleges in order to be in their program after I clear the pre-req's and teaching theatre would actually require me to almost get two degrees!

I'm just so torn ladies...I've asked the advice of both my parents and they each picked differently ..LOL!

[sugarmoon]

Do you really need the degree to do the theatre work? Where do you live? Are you looking at prospective jobs on broadway or community theatre.

I vote heavily for a degree in a field that is practical and leads to earning a decent wage but is also something you enjoy!

I have to say, I think there are more people out there saying "I'm so glad I have xxx degree -- I have good job and can support my kids" than there are people saying "I don't care that my degree has never gotten me a job that pays more than 10 bucks an hour, it was so much fun while I was doing it!"

In an ideal world, my vote is for a double major.

Good luck!

[srs]

Originally Posted by sugarmoon

I have to say, I think there are more people out there saying "I'm so glad I have xxx degree -- I have good job and can support my kids" than there are people saying "I don't care that my degree has never gotten me a job that pays more than 10 bucks an hour, it was so much fun while I was doing it!"

In an ideal world, my vote is for a double major.

Good luck!

We are these people. My DH and I both have a degree in a mostly useless but enjoyable field (music), and then we each have a degree/training in a still interesting but employable field. I know we are both so grateful that we took the time to finish our useful degrees and that it has made a huge difference for us financially and emotionally.

I don't know what your level of expertise/employment in theatre is right now, but something else I learned along the way was that it's okay to do something at a community level, even if it's something that you're qualified and talented enough to do professionally. I have worked both as a professional musician and volunteered as a community member, and at this point in my life, what is important to me is that I still participate and do something I love, rather than trying to make it my living in a field that just doesn't have enough jobs to support the people who want them.

So I vote double major/dual degrees/some type of combination, with nursing or another practical degree being the focus if you have to choose, particularly given that you have a family to support already.

[jlpumkin]

I voted other. My choice would have been other stable career field to support my family. But not necessarily nursing. I believe that nursing is a very demanding career that requires a person to selflessly give of themselves - more a calling than a career. I don't think it's one of those that you enter necessarily to benefit from the pay, hours or stability. those are more the perks for those called to the profession.