A quick look at the educational history of some high-profile CEOs proves there is truth behind the claim. Walt Disney CEO Michael Eisner double majored in English and theater, Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina has a medieval history and philosophy degree under her belt, and Corning CEO John Loose chose East Asian history as his concentration. The secret is, that all these people found ways to put the skills they learned in their major to work in the “real world” setting.

Thompson, who has helped many students with job placement agrees. “It’s true for some areas of study there is a direct correlation between major and career. However, for a majority of majors, the correlation seems to lie within what the student gets out of the skills developed within the major and how they can apply those skills into a variety of careers.” College is all about acquiring “real world” skills, not necessarily “real world” training.

SUNY Buffalo junior Tyler Sepelak knows exactly what she wants to do and is glad her college offers a major that lets her explore her interest. Sepelak entered Buffalo as a biology major, but quickly changed to biomedicine, citing the variety of specialized classes the major offered.

She talks enthusiastically about classes with titles like The History of Death, explaining, “The variety gives me more insight to if med school is really what I want to do. It exposes me to different careers in healthcare and is more useful because it directly applies to my future career in medicine.”

However, Sepelak maintains that undergrad degrees aren’t all that important, especially if you plan to enter professional or graduate school. “You can major in history and still go to med school as long as you take the core science classes.”

Thompson offers similar lines of advice and encourages students not to shy away from broad liberal majors like history, English or art if that that is what truly interests them. “Broad is good, you just have to learn how to relate it [your major] and demonstrate the applicability to specific jobs or careers.”

To help students understand this concept, the career center at UNCW lists a variety of majors and subsequent jobs that would correlate with the skill sets fostered in the major. For example, the site suggests art majors possess imagination and creativity, strong communication skills, work ethic, and flexibility. These core skills can be translated to a variety of jobs in advertising, interior design, museums, hospitals and nursing homes.

In a survey conducted by JobWeb, employers listed attributes they desire in job candidates. Among the top ten were good communication skills, strong work ethic, teamwork skills, problem solving skills, initiative, flexibility, and analytical skills.

It appears there’s hope of employment for liberal art majors yet. Not only can an art major like Zeidman study a topic she is passionate about, but she can also find a job where she can put her specific set of skills to work. “At the end of the day I realize I get to do something I love. I’ll just figure out the rest as I go along.”

Zeidman has it right; college is meant to be an exploration, a chance to uncover hidden potential and interests, not a mad dash to the finish line. The “real world” will always be there, but the chance to indulge your interests might not. So relax, slow down, have fun, and don’t forget to brush up on those multi-purpose skills. The next time you’re writing that seemingly useless 20-page Renaissance lit paper, just tell yourself you’re actually polishing those analytical skills which will come in handy for the fast approaching “real world.”