Once you have entered your college career the million dollar question remains “What’s your major?”

It’s the infamous icebreaker that you get asked from family, fellow students and faculty throughout your college years. Personally, I was sick of the question just after my first semester. I understand it is important but it often leads to hasty generalizations about the person being asked.

The topic of generalizing people based off their majors shall be saved for a later date, but the point I would like to get students to think about is not to base their majors off of statistics they find in articles or charts. They clearly do not tell the whole story.

I came across numerous reports listing college degrees with “bad” return investments and included in that list was my own. As if my family wasn’t already against me pursuing a degree in sociology and civic leadership and civic engagement (CLCE), now I have numbers in front of me making me feel I should switch my major so I won’t be in debt post-graduation.

I spoke with Brandon Lagana, director of planning and outreach for Career Services, about students who fear that their major won’t be a good return investment. He reassured me this is not something to lose sleep over because our college degrees do not define us; they simply open up opportunities.

Lagana equated the opening of the Olympics to college commencement.

“When you see the procession at the Olympics, the Olympians haven’t been handed their golden medals or their silver medals or their bronze medals just because they walked and marched; that’s your ticket to compete,” Lagana said. “The college degree means you have the ticket to compete in jobs where college degrees are required.”

He clarifies that along with graduating college, students must show what they have done and what they can do to fit the needs of that company. Lagana stressed that you must show what you learned through experience from internships and jobs, and you should present your soft skills (general traits that help you work with others, like communication and friendliness) through elevator speeches and by networking yourself online via LinkedIn and Huskies Get Hired.

As I left my interview with Lagana, I felt anxious to get back on track with my career planning, yet confident that Career Services offers so many resources and has such an eager staff willing to help students pursue their dream profession. I can assure you I will be in contact with my career counselor soon. However, the road to success won’t be the same for everyone. Regardless of where you are on your career pursuit, all students should remember three things: You are your biggest determinant of your own success. A college degree is only one part of how successful applicants can be in any career field. Last but not least, remember to stick with whatever major you are passionate about; proudly state your major next time you are asked.