I started adding up all the things I couldn't do [...] I felt dreadfully inadequate [...] The one thing I was good at was winning scholarships and prizes, and that era was coming to an end.

From the beginning of the book, perhaps the greatest threat facing our Esther Greenwood is her impending future. Esther was an intelligent student with a passion for writing and the literary arts like many students today going into college. Looking into the future, Esther does not see any clear path for herself. She does well school and in winning scholarships, but has not acquired the necessary skills to succeed in the career path she desires like being fluent in multiple languages. Today many college students face similar dilemmas after graduating, realizing that their major does not have all that many job opportunities.

There are two sides to the argument about whether a liberal arts type major is really worth it. Studies have shown that many of the majors that produce the highest unemployment rates are related to the liberal arts like anthropology, film and music. These majors also have some of the lowest starting and median salaries. Many would argue even if those are the subjects you are really passionate about, you should still try to major in something more technical or with a higher salary. Because of this pressure though many students have been avoiding these majors. Now less and less students are majoring in these topics. The world today is much more centered on technology than it used to be, and many jobs require several years of special training and mathematical knowledge. It would only make logical sense for more students to go for the engineering degree.

This process has been happening ever since the Victorian period and the start of the industrial world, and many are against it. Hallman Bryant wrote in his article that there is a difference between knowledge and training. Universities are about learning about the world and pursuing topics you have great interest in. College should not just be something you have to go through to get a job, but somewhere you want to be. Many others also agree with him that society needs liberal arts students. The ideas and philosophies of these students have helped shape the culture of the western world for years, and it would be a great lose to loose them. There are many ways to put a "useless" degree to work, especially if you have some technical skills to go with it. Although there are pros and cons with going for a liberal arts degree, most people would agree that if you pursue something you don't love just for money, you will regret it later.