Today on Better Student Leaders, Josh Farr sits down with Scott Carlson, senior writer at The Chronicle of Higher Education, and Dr Ned Scott Laff, a veteran academic and co-author of Hacking College: Why the Major Doesn’t Matter — and What Really Does. Together, they challenge one of higher education’s oldest myths: that your major determines your destiny.

In this conversation, they explore hidden intellectualism, vocational purpose, and the field-of-study model that reframes college as a place for exploration — not conformity. From stories of oboe-playing med-school applicants to the power of a single brave phone call, Scott and Ned share how students can design their own path and build social capital from curiosity.

💬 Impactful Quotes & Timestamps

• “Students can do more to change the culture of the campus than the people who are running the campus.”
• "We tell students they need a short crosswalk from the title of their degree to a job — but every time you turn the kaleidoscope, new possibilities appear. That’s what a field of study really is."
• "Learning becomes more powerful because it's personal."
• “Social capital is created from cultural capital. When students bring their curiosity into the room, that’s what connects them to people who open doors.”
• “When you ask, What keeps you up at night about your work? — that’s when a real conversation starts, and opportunity follows.”
• “Education isn’t a checklist; it’s a sense-making process. You have to invest yourself to create meaning.”

📕 Get your copy of their new book here ⁠Hacking College: Why the Major Doesn’t Matter — and What Really Does⁠.