Out of all the majors one could choose at a university such as UMass Amherst, Spanish is definitely on of the more open ended choices possible. In other majors, you are often tailoring your skills towards one type of job that you may pursue after graduating. For a long time I was unsure of what I wanted to major in, let alone pursue as a career. Last Spring, I started to think seriously about what it was that I wanted to focus my studies on and after much thought Spanish was it for me. Ever since I began learning Spanish back in seventh grade it has always resonated with me compared to the maths and the sciences. Even still though, I was completely unsure of what I wanted to do with a Spanish degree.
When I decided to study Spanish as my major I really only thought of two options in terms of jobs and they were teacher and translator. I used to think that I might like to be a translator because both of my parents are but now I’m beginning to realize that I would rather get into education of some form. After taking this class and holding weekly discussions about Spanish and the various career paths that it unlocks, I have been able to form a better idea of what it is I want to achieve with a Spanish degree.
I want to study abroad although I have found it hard to find a period of time where I can go. I would definitely prefer to spend a whole semester abroad although if it is not possible I would definitely be interested in a summer or winter period. Obviously, spending a long period of time in a Spanish speaking country is the best way to learn the language and I think living in Spain after graduating would be extremely beneficial. If it were possible I would like to try and do some English teaching while abroad but if that’s not possible just getting any old job and improving my Spanish skills would be an excellent opportunity. After becoming completely comfortable with my Spanish I could then return to the US to teach Spanish. The plan is still vague but has taken some shape!
