Writing After High School

As I am now deep into the college application process, my passion for writing has already come up innumerable times as I think about what major(s) I might want to pursue. This has inspired a lot of self-reflection, as it should, as I have begun to think much more about where I might want to take my writing after high school, and into college and my future career. This is certainly a dilemma or at least a turning point for many other writers in my position, or who are beginning to think more about the value of their writing skills and how they might continue to use them. There is a very significant moment when every young person must eventually decide if they wish to major in a vocational or non-vocational major, one which will allow for a quicker and easier entry in the workforce, the other which will allow for a more versatile skill set and perhaps greater intellectual exploration/development. As a committed humanities guy, I know for a fact that I want a future career that is writing heavy and not just a soulless grind to make big money. I have always felt like job training should be far from a central reasons for wanting to go to college, but that is also something of a privileged perspective and it is not really my place to be giving career advice as a seventeen-year-old. However, all that I want to impress from all the research I have done and the people I have talked to during this admissions process as I weigh majors and the various programs that colleges have to offer is that pursuing a non-vocational major (especially one in the humanities!) is absolutely not a waste of money or time, and is in fact highly practical. There are countless sought-after skills that such a major can provide you, and I will proudly be declaring my intention to double major in English/Creative Writing and Latin American Studies when I apply in a few months from now. Writing and analytical skills are extremely valuable no matter where one decides to work (I am currently thinking of pursuing law, so those skills would be especially relevant in that case). Hopefully anybody already very into writing would not need assurances to continue those humanistic studies in college, but as I have seen artistic writer friends fall into the trap of career panic and pivot into applying as buisness majors, I felt the need to say something.