Once you head off to college, you’ll be faced with a ton of possible majors to choose between. For some students, this isn’t much of a problem. Perhaps you’re going to school with one subject already in mind, and it’s just a question of choosing a specialization. For other students this creates quite the difficult conundrum. Your major choice will often narrow down your possible career paths, and that can be pretty scary. How can you decide right now what you’re going to do with the rest of your life? Well, if you enjoy design, technology and gameplay, you might want to consider majoring in digital media. This is a pretty new field, and it isn’t offered at every university. But those who go through these programs are set for a bright future. Here are five reasons to study digital media in college.
First of all, you’ll find opportunities open to you in almost every market. Digital media involves the organization and manipulation of audio, video and text content, and the construction of websites, mobile apps and standalone programs. Today’s business world has become truly international, and traditional geographic boundaries no longer matter. This is due in large part to digital media. With this education behind you, you’ll be able to find work in the media departments of major corporations or design firms that specialize in almost any product line you could imagine. If you’re not sure what environment you want to work in yet, this can be very enticing.
Lots of people love digital media, but it’s only the digital media major who truly understands the theory behind all of that content. You’ll take courses that bring you through the complete history of digital media, understanding how it began, what brought it to where it is today, and perhaps even where it will be going over future generations. Theory may sound boring, but it’s a necessary understanding for anyone who aspires to be known as an expert in the field. If you don’t comprehend history, you won’t be able to publish, or to launch something new.
History is great, but the digital media major also gets his hands dirty. This is a multidisciplinary field, so you’ll take courses in fine art, photography, graphic design and 3D imaging. The bulk of your time will be spent in creation, putting together class projects and even launching new products into the marketplace. It’s an incredibly creative major, and every day will truly be different. If your interests are vast and you’re concerned about being bored at school, this is certainly the path for you.
Digital media also brings all of those skills together in a way that is easy to monetize. Once you have the basics down, you’ll learn how brands use digital media to make money, and even how to construct your own e-commerce site. You’ll be able to farm out these skills to employers, but you could also build an online portal in support of one of your entrepreneurial efforts. With a major in digital media, you’ll never have to hire a web or graphic designer. It will save you time and money, and allow you the autonomy to make sure your projects come out right the first time.
Finally, a digital media major will help you get work in all sorts of entertainment fields. That includes things like video game, television and film production, as well as computer modeling and product packaging. These are all high paying career paths, and with a little work and good luck you could be making a six-figure salary just a few years after graduation. A degree in pharmacy may offer more lucrative options, but pharmacists don’t get to work in fun, forward thinking entertainment and technology companies. Would you rather work in a pharmacy than at Google? If the answer to that question is obvious, you’ve probably landed on the right major for you.
