I remember being asked why I had decided to take my degree in Classical Civilisation. Yet there was always something wrong with the subject; it was irrelevant to the workplace, it should be an interest or a ‘hobby’ as opposed to part of my education, or history was simply boring and focused on things that had already happened- because in life we have to face the present and prepare for the future. However, such ignorance did not make me an advocate for the Classics; I just knew that I enjoyed ancient history and wanted to continue learning about it. My parents have always been supportive of me, so I faced no obstacles.
I’d argue that there were many different career routes from a Classics degree- not just in teaching or archaeology, but working in the civil service, journalism, or in book publishing, for example. Yet throughout my three years at University I had never clearly decided on what exactly I wanted career-wise. To be honest, I never really understood all the fuss and worry about getting a job, regardless of what degree one had. I suppose I took a laid-back approach to the matter which although some would say matches the ‘away with the fairies’ or slightly ‘out-there’ stereotypical Classicist (e.g the heroine that is Mary Beard), I found that this was the opposite of the reality in being a Classics student.
The long, heavily-written articles we read for lectures, and the research, planning, and actual physical writing of the essays were arduous and often frustrating. Knowing what we wanted to say but composing it in a formal manner was a struggle we adjusted to, as well as disagreeing with a scholar’s work, yet having to take it as ‘fact’ to an extent unless you had enough evidence and argument to prove otherwise. There were times when the frustration of gaining a degree turned to anxiety and doubting myself; a lot like those described earlier who wondered what my degree would lead to. To keep me going, I would think of those past and present who never had the opportunity to study their interest- either because of their gender, class, or societal/family expectation.
A study trip to Rome in my second year took me away from staring at Word documents hoping a sentence would magically fix itself, and from smelly old books with their archaic words as well. Visiting Trajan’s Column, the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, Hadrian’s Villa, and the Mausoleum of Augustus (among many, many more sights our lecturer's enthused to show us) replenished my love for the subject. I continued to work hard for my degree and only missed a few lectures here and there, usually due to a hangover-based ‘emergency’ such as thrusting my throat into the toilet.
I graduated with a 2:1. Three weeks after moving out of my student flat, I landed an office job as an administrator, worlds away from Zeus and friends. It proved that a Classics degree CAN get you a job- even if it's just something to start out with. I also found it necessary to remove myself from the classical/education bubble and experience real, adult life to truly decide what I wanted to do and get a feel for something different, as pretty much my entire life had been defined by educational institutions. It worked for me, as I now have my heart set on becoming a teacher.
I receive a lot of messages on my tumblr account from prospective students unsure if they should study ancient history or not- and my reply is always YES. Regardless of what you do in life or what others say, it is always going to be a rollercoaster with many ups and downs. It wouldn't make sense to endure this doing the things you don't want to do, would it?
After 3 years at University, I have finally decided that I am going to become a Classical Civilisation teacher. Perhaps, then, I do conform to the stereotype, in that ‘all Classics graduates become teachers’. I am not the graduate to become a CEO of a high-earning business and thus prove to all the non-Classicists ‘SEE! Look what having a Classics degree can land you!’. I think I am too laid back for this. I will become a Classics teacher, but I may not enjoy that and decide to pick a different career instead.
But just like reading those scholars views I had to read for my lectures, I don’t have to conform to what is largely agreed upon; being a Classicist means I can decide for myself.
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