Answering the question.

I tell people a number of things when I'm asked what I study in school. As a result, I get a number of responses--most of which I am now able to horribly anticipate. You see, trying to explain to people that you are getting a bachelor of arts, and are actually a quite sane person, can be trying. I've seriously considered beginning to lie to avoid the whole painful experience:

"Biology. I am studying biology. I am so very passionate about living organism that I decided to make a career out of learning about them. Which living organisms you ask? Well, which ever I want of course. Now leave me alone, I have to go do some god damn biology experiments."

The official degree title is bachelors of Rhetoric and Communications. However, I often sway and simply say "Rhetoric" or "Communications" or "Prerequisites for media work" or--and this one probably lifts the most eyebrows--"Journalism."

But lets start from the top, shall we?

Rhetoric is an interesting one because most people don't know that it's a field of study at all. The ones that pretend they do will jump right into criticizing you for having interest in composing propaganda, deceiving political speeches, and advertisements. Sometimes I take the effort and explain rhetoric is an ancient tradition born in antiquity that deals with the ideal way to communicate in specific situations. This is not restricted to words. We learn about pictures, type face, and architecture.

Of course, there are always the instances where one finds it far easier to simply comply to criticism and state, "You are right. I am an evil bastard. Now leave me alone, I have to go do evil things--rhetorical things..."

Then we have Communications. Apparently this stereotype that all communications students are all ex-football players, who intend to barley trot through university, has become part of mainstream thinking. For this reason, I carry a football around with me at all times in case I am prompted with the opportunity to show people that I am far from being capable of even holding the skewed oval properly.

Prerequisites for media work is the safe one. Its not specific and people usually don't question you any further. When they do, they ask what focus you want to take. It is in this situation that I am forced to spit out the last resort answer...

I am taking journalism. I am going to talk to people and write down what they say to me. I will use lots of words to do this. Yes, I realize I will probably not have a lot of money for the first five or more years of my career. I would be a daft fool to think I would. We don't do this for the money, we do this for the chance of having a career that doubles as a creative outlet--anything else, I am quite sure, would drive me to suicide.

Now leave me alone, I have some god damn journalism to do.