09Part 2: Defending the Choice
“Hello! My name is Claire Pukszta and I am a Media Studies major and Theater minor at Scripps College, in Claremont, California. Nice to meet you!”
A fairly standard issue introduction. Perfect for the professional setting. However there are a few key parts of my introduction that usually warrant some confused looks, raised eyebrows, or this response…
I will forever be explaining where I went to school as well as what I majored in. Scripps College, while highly ranked and well esteemed, is not a college that slips off people’s tongues like Berkley or UCLA. And I in coming to Scripps I expected to be forever giving the speech, “Well Scripps is a small, women’s liberal arts college….” You probably know the rest. It would be a lot easier too if I could just say I was a Psychology or Business major in addition to going to Scripps. These are fields of study that are fairly consistent in content across institutions. After becoming enthralled with and deciding to be a Media Studies Major, all I could think to myself was “one more thing to explain”.
Despite how no one fully understands what I’m majoring in (including my parents), I am content with my choice and the questioning looks that come with it. As a liberal arts student interested in social studies, to a certain degree it doesn’t matter what my major is. I am here to learn how to think critically and will get that from whichever major I pick. I am not majoring in Economics or Accounting where I need to learn specific analytic processes. This is not to put those majors down in any way. Simply the kind of administrative positions that I am looking for after college are places where I will learn specific responsibilities on the job. I am fortunate to have that kind of flexibility. But for those who are not set on specific paths that require a knowledge bank, I would encourage you to explore. It may lead you in directions you never would have expected!
I like how my major choice invites further conversation. It allows me to describe my passion for the intersections of mass culture and social justice and how I want to provide opportunity for individual’s stories to be told. So even if my major is a little unique, and occasionally indescribable, I wouldn’t have it any other way. If I am going to sit through 4 years of classes, then they might as well be interesting to me. I wanted to spend my college career in classes that I will truly enjoy. So to those out there that want to pursue the major of their dreams, I say why not? When will you have this opportunity to dive into a field so deeply again? Take advantage of the time you have here instead of being so worried about the future. Things will fall into place because you are a hardworking student who will succeed at what you put your mind to!
