College students should be encouraged to pursue subjects that interest them rather than the courses that seem most likely to lead to jobs

While having the ability to provide for themselves and their families should be of high priority, it should not be the only consideration or even the most important one. In the world today, many industries exist which could have appeared as "dead-end" jobs years ago. For example, even in the latter half of the 20th century, computers were not significantly widespread or prominent, possibly causing it to be viewed as an obsolete industry before it even began. Today, we know this is not the case. If all computer science students in the 1970's were dissuaded from pursuing their passion, no matter how bleak the outcome seemed at the time, then the current times would never have adopted the nickname "The Digital Age." This remains true for every emerging industry.

Students, and people in general, following their passions has led to a plethora of new inventions, hobbies, and industries. From a young age, students should be encouraged to pursue their interests in an attempt to ignite a spark in each individual, no matter what their interest may be. With each new generation, an inspiring wave of creativity, intellect, and passion that further helps develop their skills which, subsequently, enhances the present and future. Without the power of choice, individuals will not only lose motivation, but industries will be leaps and bounds behind where they could have been since, without passion or interest, employees will only work for a paycheck and nothing more.

Incorrectly, the above statement assumes exclusivity between the two groups of "interesting" and "likely to lead to jobs." In fact, many people develop interests in hobbies at an early age which eventually burgeon into skills considered desirable by hiring managers. An interest in folding paper airplanes as a child could translate to becoming a lead engineer in the aeronautics industry. However, if that same child is deterred from finding the best flight design for a piece of paper, then airline designs may remain inefficient, and never be given the chance to improve.

Perhaps most importantly, steering students in the direction of filling jobs could have a deleterious effect - both to individuals and the economy as a whole. If every student interested in pursuing the limited openings as a NASA scientist, triceratops historian, or art analyst were instead persuaded into becoming fast food cashiers, then the market would soon become saturated. After an undeterminable, although presumably short, amount of time, there would be enough cash handlers at Wendy's and Burger King that the student initially wanting to study dinosaurs has now lost his passion for the ancient beings, and is unable to find a job even as a fast food cashier.

The idea is not without some merit, however. Pushing students toward a specific career, even one they are not interested in, could possibly help fill gaps in the work force such as sanitation engineers. Perhaps beneficial in a myopic sense, the positive effects on the industry would soon fall precipitously for the reasons mentioned above. The industries would quickly reach capacity and many prospective applicants would be left wanting a job for which no openings exist.

While students should keep the prospects of a job in mind during their college careers, there are more important aspects that should be considered. Passions and interests should be pursued first and foremost. No one can predict which industries may explode such as technology and computers did at the turn of the 21st century or, on the other hand, which industries that are booming now, may become obsolete in the near future.