Where is my journalism degree going to take me?

I haven't got a clue.

Freshman year I entered I.C. as an anthropology student with high hopes of exploring the world and living among many different cultures. As if I were still a 5-year-old with dreams of being an astronaut (I did) or a vet (yes, again,) I decided once again that my dream needed to change. I soon declared journalism as my new career path.

Then reality hit.

All of my professors told me "newspapers are dying" and "journalism is losing hope." Relatives told me wished me a sarcastic "good luck."

Finally, I find myself taking Independent Media - a class that isn't required nor needed personally to graduate. Basically I needed to stay a full-time student, but I didn't want to take 5 PALS courses to get me through. So, over the last three or so months, I've been told countless stories of people who never paid $46k for a degree. They simply went out and made it on their own, doing what they want, writing what they want, etc. (If I knew four years ago that I could make millions by posting weird photos of cats or having my own YouTube channel devoted to celebrity gossip, maybe I would have tried it.) It's yet another slap in the face begging the question, "What are you doing at Ithaca?"

Don't get me wrong, I've learned quite a bit over the last four years, and as I prepare to graduate in a few short weeks, I'm positive I'll be using my education in the future. I think the most important thing I'll be taking away is the continuing need for good, solid reporting on topics that matter. I'll let people without journalism degrees take care of the cat Web sites and dish out the goods on Paris and Britney, while I concentrate on news and information that is vital and needs attention. I've learned the skills or reporting, perfected the "art" of the inverted pyramid and memorized the AP Stylebook. Now I'm onto learning the ins and outs of publishing - a small change in my career path, but one that would not have occured if I had not become a journalism major first.