[학생기자]Financial factors affecting college students and deciding majors

Will Henry, a 19-year-old freshman at the University of Georgia, has always thought his passion was in music. Henry has played guitar for more than eight years and has been active as the lead guitarist of his band in high school. Nobody doubted that Henry would take a path in music as he transitioned into college. Henry, however, chose economics as his major. The reason was simple. “I wasn't sure that a major in music could get me a job,” said Henry.

Henry represents an increasing mass of students who cannot continue on with their passion fearing that it might not earn them a stable job in the shaky economy today.

Edward Hong, 24, a former student at Columbia University, is one of those students. Edward Hong's passion has always been in writing.

“I used to write short stories all the time as a child,” said Hong. Edward Hong's talent was recognized at an early age. Not only did he get a perfect score on Reading and Writing portions of the Scholastic Aptitude Test(SAT), but he also received several awards in essay contests in high school. Everyone around Hong was sure that he would be a writer in the future.

“I thought he would become some writer like… you know the ones who show up in TV,” said Edwin Hong, 16, Edward's little brother. Edward Hong, however, thought otherwise.

In his sophomore year, Hong declared a business major. “It was tough. I love writing and all but, my family is not so well off. I had to take care of my mom and my little brother. I didn't think a major in English would make me enough money right out of college you know. To make money as a writer, you have to go through a lot of stuff and spend some time penniless,” he said.

In 2010, Hong took a leave of absence from Columbia University because of financial issues. Edward started a business of his own with his friends. “I still write short stories that I send to publishers,” Hong said.

Edward is one of many students who are directly influenced by the ongoing economic recession. According to Indexmundi.com, the GDP real growth rate for the United States went from 3.2 percent in 2007 down to -2.6 percent in 2010. Reporting for the Boston Globe, Peter Schworm noted that the financial crisis is casting “a shadow over nearly all” of the financial operations within higher education.

Min Seok Choi
1st Year,
Northwestern University