13 reasons why Humanities and Arts is the latest trend

In a world of conventional courses with tall skyscrapers; Humanities and Arts get dwarfed by many reasons. Mostly it’s the esteem of the white, blue and pink collar workers in the offices functioning from 9AM to 5 PM. Others are plain jealous of the freelancing artists and philanthropists who bask in the full frontal newspaper coverage while they are boxed in cubicles. A lot of people are of the view that Humanities and Arts discipline does not need a lot of effort from the muscles of the brain and just like the concept of ‘Any Body Can Dance’, anybody can study Humanities and Arts. While it may be more rewarding to study a technical course, it goes without saying that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Humanities and Arts is a diverse discipline with a huge range of subjects, namely; English Literature, Psychology, Public Administration, Political Science, Social Work, Sociology, and History to name a few. Studying them helps one excel in forms of expression and communication in myriad platforms which can be intermingled with other disciplines of Engineering, Management and Commerce etc. Science fiction writing is one such example of amalgamation of Humanities and Arts with Science. Here are 13 reasons to choose Humanities and Arts as your Undergraduate or Postgraduate discipline for a bright future.

                       

1. ‘You only need to find yourself, everything else can be Googled’

As you progress in your career and perhaps move into a management or senior role, you’ll often be expected to make difficult decisions and work in high-pressure environments. The way that you react in these situations is the key to the success of your career.

Having an understanding of your own personality and an insight into your own behavior can give you a unique perspective on a workplace project or role. Using your knowledge of psychology and behavior to recognize and acknowledge the underlying reasons and theories of these traits can allow you to work more successfully in these different environments.

2. ‘Personality has power to uplift, power to depress, power to curse, and power to bless’

Your dressing sense, body language, expressions etc apart from your choice of words speak volumes about you. If you study psychology, you can predict an abnormal behavior in others and even understand the motive of criminals.

Having a degree in Psychology and specializing in various streams can help you understand a market for sales, pick the right kind of content for advertising, treat a patient with an illness and even write plots for movies and shows for particular audience.

3. ‘Good communication is the bridge between confusion and clarity’

Communication serves as the foundation of any interaction. Effective business transactions, effective leadership, effective planning and management; all take place because of knowing what to say and write. Teaching communication skills to corporate offices and firms has emerged as a high paying profession for a Humanities and Arts graduate.

A sound knowledge of language comes from reading literature and refined language through a thorough practice of writing. When enhanced, multiple errors in communications can be prevented. English trainers with an impeccable grammar are also highly sought after by various competitive exam training centers.

4. ‘There is nothing to writing, all you do is sit by the typewriter and bleed’

If you have seen certain soaps on the television or the internet and have appreciated its lazy writing or felt amazed at the plot twists, thank the stream of Humanities and Arts. Script writers of the most famous movies, serials and shows take inspiration from literary novels and dramas.

Writing the scripts is a challenging occupation as not just good communication is at play but also the interest and the psychology of the viewers have to be kept in mind. The characters also need shaping and evolution and this can be done with inspiration from the pioneers in the field of literature.

5. ‘Step into a scene and let it drip from your finger tips’

Did you know that your favorite video game had a plot and the characters have different personality and even back stories? Video game writers are part of the design team, during pre-production, and create the main plot of a video game but can also focus on the dialogue, the character creation.

During the game development process, the design may change and a video game writer can also be asked to fix the eventual narrative issues. It is different to writing scripts of movies due to technical reasons but is extremely high paying and a fairly recent field.

6. ‘We blame society, but we are society.’

Society is the largest organization of the individuals and has its own problems in every field. The study of society contributes to the formulation of social policies which required certain amount of knowledge about that society.            

In India, the solution of the problem of extreme poverty requires from the sociologists primarily an investigation of the facts such researches undoubtedly influence social policy. If the society is to develop and prosper, the study of society is must for politicians, administrators, social reformers, students and           teachers.

7. ‘Some people are so poor, all they have is money’.
Have you ever blamed social institutions for any social construct and have debated on the ways things can change? Sociology has analyzed the causes of the many maladies of society and suggested the means for curing them through study of the great social institutions and the relation of the individual to each of them.

Sociology makes a reader up-to-date to various social predicaments. Sociology makes a reader up-to date in group behavior and also guides an individual how to stroll along with the society. Thus the, study of sociology keeps its reserved place in the life of individual since it contains various information about social behavior.

8. ‘If something can corrupt you, you are already corrupted?’

An interest to influence change in the community through a government job can be attained through the study of public administration. Public administration jobs require strong leadership skills and profound knowledge of policies.

Many jobs in public administration involve working with governments and large companies to create policies that increase efficiency and provide for the greater welfare of their communities. The gateway for this lucrative dream is the detailed study of this discipline to prepare for high score in various civil services examinations.

9. ‘Politics is not a game but a serious business’

Studying political science can open up a wide range of job opportunities in both the public, private, and not-for-profit private sectors. It’s a living breathing subject that changes and revises itself every day. You can’t get bored of this subject as it is always in the limelight.

Political science cannot just help you vote better but also secure jobs with the government, corporate offices etc to help shape policies for as important issues as salary structure of employees to policies to provide employment.

10. ‘The best way to find your self is to lose yourself in the service of others’

Social Work is all about understanding and striving to improve the lives of people in society. Social workers listen to people's needs, from young children to people struggling with addictions, and help them to cope and improve their happiness.

 Community service managers who can manage orphanages, old age homes and other government and non government organizations are in great demand. This is an unusual and unconventional occupation for the change makers.

11. ‘In order to succeed, we must counsel ourselves to ‘we can’ mode.’

With mental health problems an ever-present issue for an unfortunately large proportion of the population, Counseling is as important a profession as any. A counselor is trained to listen with empathy and to understand the problems of the patient.

This occupation is a much sought after due to boom in the alarming rates of suicides and hate crimes. More so the taboo of going to a counselor is fast decreasing and any and every kind of counselor is a much sought after person.

12. ‘The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.’

Teaching is a noble profession and if done correctly can nurture the future of a country. Teaching at any level, be it Montessori, junior school, senior school, college or university; can be fulfilling and highly paying.

It however also requires the highest amount of qualification for even the basic entry level jobs. A lot of nongovernmental organizations seek volunteers for teaching underprivileged kids and adults in rural areas that adds challenge and satisfaction to the resume.

13. ‘Travel broadens the mind and widens our horizons’

If you have always harbored the dream to travel and earn handsomely from it as well, travel blogging is your escape. Some food and travel channels and websites pay well to have some associates travel, eat in luxurious hotels, ships, restaurants etc and write critically about them in paid or individual blogs.    

Writing the blog to make it an attractive read needs literary skills and cognition that can be achieved by the study of Humanities and Arts.

The study of Humanities and Arts, if done passionately and chosen whole heartedly can lead to a very fulfilling life. It is as rewarding as you can make it with your dedication and most importantly there is no limit to it as it can be mixed with various other disciplines and create an entirely unique mix. Hence chose your passion, chose Humanities and Arts and chose to be unconventional.