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When I introduce myself to people as a University of Waterloo student, more often than not I’ll get responses along the lines of, “Good for you! You must be in Engineering or Math.” When I tell them that I’m actually studying Psychology and Business, I’ll occasionally see a visible change of expression, one that essentially says, “Oh.” I sometimes get the impression that certain people think less of me because I’m not in a STEM-related program, and at times it can be tough to say that I am an Arts major at UW and SJU because of that.
In the past few months, however, I’ve come to understand that the attitudes I see often simply come from a lack of knowledge about UW. Why? Well, the Faculty of Arts at Waterloo and SJU is a real hidden gem. Waterloo’s Psychology program was ranked by Maclean’s Magazine as the 4th best in Canada. I’m very proud to rep the Faculty of Arts – especially at a STEM-heavy school – and I absolutely love what I’m studying. I’ve come to realize that there are so many benefits to an Arts education, from the skills that I learn in the classroom to the possible paths after my BA. (Plus, I’m able to apply for sweet co-op jobs like this one, where part of my job is curating content for this blog!)
If you’re still on the fence about Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business, I’m going to do my best to convince you that you should go for it. Living and studying here has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made – and I hope it will be for you, too. Here are my top 5 reasons why you should pursue that Arts degree at SJU & UW.
I know this is the case for me. I’ve had an interest in Psychology since I was in grade seven when I watched Criminal Minds for the first time. Waterloo has 23 possible majors and almost 50 minors to choose from so you’ll be able to apply your interests in so many different ways. When you’re studying something that you’re naturally interested in, you’ll be more inclined to study, so your grades will reflect that interest.
...No, not like that.
I may be a Psychology major, but I don’t necessarily want to become a psychologist. This is a huge advantage to an Arts degree: there is no set outcome based on the skills that you learn. This makes your degree timeless – in other words, what you learn in an Arts program has no expiration date and can be applied to almost any job that you may have. This makes a BA an excellent long-term investment – especially at a time where on average, you’ll work 4-6 different jobs in your lifetime. That's what I mean when I say that your degree is flexible.
I have yet to take a Psychology course where my professor did not refer to Socrates or Plato or Aristotle or one of their contemporaries at least once during the term. What you’re learning as an Arts major is the basis for almost every other major discipline. The theories that you’ll learn, especially in introductory courses in your first year, will help you to understand how you see the world and open the door for so many interesting dialogues and perspectives as you go along.
Critical thinking skills are essential, especially in the particular time period that we find ourselves in. They allow you to make connections, question long-held beliefs, and find answers to difficult questions. It will also encourage you to think “outside the box” and come up with creative solutions to problems.
This is especially handy when it comes to analyzing data. Almost every career field imaginable makes date-driven decisions. Obviously, employers look for particular skillsets to put the data together and have it displayed beautifully, but there is always a need for an Arts student to interpret the results.
As an Arts student, you learn how to communicate well (both orally and in writing), how to adapt to change, how to properly make informed decisions, and how to think critically (see #2). This prepares you especially well for an unsteady job market.
Even through my experiences with co-op, I’ve noticed that recruiters describe a typical Arts student when they talk about the type of person they want to hire – creative, independent thinkers, and people who can work well in teams with others. There’s also something to be said about the lifelong learning philosophy that an Arts degree gives you. In a fast-paced world where technical degrees are often rendered obsolete less than 15 years after graduation due to new and changing technology, you’re always ready to learn and adapt. Once you’ve become an Arts student, you're always an Arts student.
I hope you’ll choose to study here! I know that the skills I’ve learned so far will serve me well long after I’ve graduated, regardless of what I end up doing. Benjamin Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” I think he was on to something there. UW and SJU have been exactly what I’ve needed and I hope they’ll be just the same for you.■
by Jon Franchetto