Arts Graduate Finally Realises What Everyone Was Sniggering About

WRITING the name of the next customer on their coffee cup before handing it down the line to the Barista, Malcolm Jennings, a 22-year-old arts graduate, allowed himself a wry smile after finally realising what everyone had been giggling about for the past four years.

Leaving an Arts Degree with a high qualification last year, Jennings was more than qualified to walk into any coffee shop in town and get a job at the till. Although it took another 10 months, he has finally come to realise just why everyone’s face had gone from “interested” to “ah bless”, when he told them he was doing Arts.

“From the time I filled out the CAO form until now, people would smile when I told them what I was doing, ” said Jennings, on a break from getting people’s orders wrong.

“‘What are you doing in college?’ ‘I’m doing arts’.’Oh.. that’s… nice’… that’s how every conversation went. And then they’d smirk. And I never understood what that smirk was about.. until now”.

Later in the day, Jennings got together with some fellow graduates, all of whom are working in the service/ retail industry. Sharing his newfound insight, Jennings was met with confused stares and hostility from his fellow arts graduates.

“They didn’t believe me, ” said Jennings, walking home alone. “Or maybe they just didn’t want to believe me”.