Where are my fellow Media, Communications, and Visual Arts (MCVA) majors? This one’s for you guys.

Isn’t it frustrating to see that half-smile and look of confusion on someone’s face when you tell them you’re majoring in Communications and/or Journalism? You know exactly what’s running through their minds too because you’ve been through this before.

“Really, Journalism? Does she want to be unemployed?”

“Communications. Everyone knows how to communicate, it’s not rocket science.”

“What is Communications anyway?”

“Only people that don’t know what they want to do with their life end up in that field.”

“So she’s basically studying English?”

No offense to English majors – keep doing your thing. If only people know how drastically different our two majors are.

In an effort to break the stereotypes and educate the masses, I will give you all the breakdown of what it’s actually like to be a member of the Media, Communications, and Visual Arts department. (Represent!)

Communications is not a skill that everyone has, yet it’s needed everywhere. Every single industry, job, and career rely on communicational skills, one way or another. Our degree can be applied anywhere – because as mentioned before, it’s not a skill that many know how to navigate effectively. And more often than not, companies rely heavily on internal and external communications – and it usually makes or breaks them.

Contrary to popular belief, MCVA majors are not “easy A’s” nor do we only spend our time “writing papers.” In fact, it’s probably one of the most hands-on departments that do an excellent job at getting students ready for their careers.

Heck, one of my Public Relations classes right now is a simulation of the “real world.” News flash: the real world is not easy. It’s a slap in the face. But come graduation in May, I’ll be two steps ahead of other candidates, and it’s all because of classes like this.

MCVA students are media experts. We possess exceptional analytical research, writing, and visual skills. We’re persuasive, passionate, engaging, and we know how to tell a story on a variety of platforms using different mediums. Meanwhile, other students can barely write a decent term paper.

I’m in no way saying our major is the be-all-end-all (or am I?), but I am saying that those who criticize it wouldn’t last a day in our fields. So here’s to us, the (underestimated) MCVA majors. May our creative energy (and pride) live on.