Tag Archives: choosing a major

Choosing Declaring a Major and Minor

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Time flies when you’re having fun.  It never occurred to me how close the deadline to declare my major actually was.  As it turns out, I have to turn in the forms by Wednesday.  I have been ready to declare my politics major since the beginning of the year; why I did not do it then is just poor time management on my part.  However, while I was filling out my major declaration form, I realized I would feel all out incomplete without a minor.

I am not saying that just doing a single major and nothing else is bad, at all.  That is what you are supposed to.  If you want to get a little fancy with it and throw in a double major or a minor then go for it!  For me personally, about half of my friends are minoring in something.  I have been weary of a minor up until this point because I have been focused on only taking classes that I believe could influence my future professional career.  But the great thing about a liberal arts college is that we  can learn about everything, not just one thing.  While I am not a scientist, I have decided to minor in environmental science because I love biology and have always been passionate about climate change.  It is an added bonus that I am choosing to focus on environmental policy as a track for my politics major.  It took me an entire night, but I figured out the perfect schedule that allows me to double count some classes for my major and minor, finish my GE’s, and graduate on time.

If any of you are stressing out about requirements or majors, the scripps website has some valuable information on major requirements, what classes you need to take, when you need to take them, and if you can double count or not.  It is also helpful to email or call the registrar’s office and check in on your GE credits, incase you are wondering what you still need to get done.

Taking classes that have to do with your professional career is of course a great strategy.  However, I would advise that you mix it up a little.  Maybe take a class on a topic you do not know much about, or a topic you have always found interesting but know you will never touch on in your professional life.  I am currently enrolled in a Greek Tragedies course.  Do I want to be a classicist?  Am I a great actor?  No and no, but I was all about the greek myths as a kid, so here I am.

Gaining experience in courses you would not normally take is what an interdisciplinary education is all about.  Like I said, I am no scientist, but working in a lab and learning how to analyze data while simultaneously taking politics classes and discussing political theories has taught me how to think critically.  That is a life skill I am glad to have, so take advantage of the liberal arts education.

Speaking of opportunities, I recently decided not to study abroad.  It took a lot of thought, but in order to complete my minor requirements, it just was not feasible.  I am not disappointed however, because I love Scripps and California.  While I will miss my friends who will be gone for a semester, I am excited to pursue environmental science.  Who knows, maybe I will get a cat to keep me company.

“So, What Are You Going to Major In?”

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The summer before leaving home for college, first-year students are constantly asked “what are you going to major in?” I never had a definitive answer. I would usually reply with a vague “I’m not sure”, or sometimes, “I am going to a liberal arts college, I’m not supposed to know what I will major in yet”. I knew I did not particularly enjoy STEM classes, and kind of enjoyed writing, but did not feel the urge to declare my love for any one subject just yet. In addition, I did not believe in the assumption behind the question. How are students who have not taken a single college class supposed to be certain of the academic path they intent to pursue?

College is a time for self-discovery and for taking classes that you enjoy and are genuinely interested in. Now that I am in the midst of my second semester at Scripps, I have a better grasp of what subjects interest me, and what subjects definitely do not interest me. I see my potential major as a puzzle and I’m discovering the pieces that will make the picture complete. Last semester, I took an “Introduction to Digital Art” class where we learned how to use Adobe Photoshop and created portfolios of our work. Through this class, I discovered my interest in video editing. My Writing 50 class reminded me of how much I enjoy analytical writing. Taking French 22 and French 33 taught me that I enjoy the grammar of French but do not enjoy comprehension. I am now taking Psychology and find the topic intriguing and applicable to so much in life. Through taking Macroeconomics, I am discovering that I probably won’t be an Economics major but can benefit from understanding basic economic principles.

While I will probably change my mind more than once, I currently see myself majoring in Psychology and minoring in Media Studies. Even though I have not yet taken a Media Studies class, I plan to next semester and have a feeling that I will enjoy it.

I think that one of the biggest lessons the first year of college is teaching me is not taught in any course: the lesson to accept and be at peace with uncertainty.  I am in the habit of constantly trying to plan every aspect of my days and of my future. Planning gives me great comfort and a sense of security, and it helps me feel in control. College is teaching me that even though I do not yet know what I will major in, let alone what I will eat for lunch tomorrow, that’s ok. What I do know is that I am going to take amazing classes, continue my passion for learning, and, eventually, discover what my major will be.

 

The Big Picture

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When I came to Scripps College, I had a vague understanding of what I wanted to study [politics]. Some people have a clear path [pre-Med, pre-Law] and I think I took my friends’ steadfast career intuition a little too seriously my freshman and sophomore year. While most people at age 18, especially those who choose to attend a well-rounded, liberal arts college, do not know exactly what professional field they want to pursue, I felt like I was the only one who did not have a concrete plan of action. If you’re feeling like this as an underclassman – DON’T! Screen Shot 2015-06-26 at 3.11.47 PM

During my hiatus on “finding the perfect career and major”, I invested hours in trying to discover my perfect career and major. I became obsessed with personality quizzes that claimed to find your one-true job. I pestered all my upperclassmen friends with questions on how to pick a major/career. I looked at CEOs and world leaders’ Wikipedia pages to find their majors and previous jobs. I went to a ton of CP&R career-info sessions [even one on the CIA!]. I looked everywhere to find answers to these questions when in fact, they don’t have always have concentrate answers.

Yes, by sophomore year students have to declare a major. But your major by no means determines your career. So while majors are not the-end-all-be-all, still you should not make this important decision based solely on an online quiz, or what your friend thinks they see you doing. If anything, these quizzes and friends will reinstate the qualities and personality traits you already know you have. So take outside viewpoints into consideration, but really think about what classes excite you and what classwork interested you the most. I chose Public Policy Analysis because the most interesting class discussions surrounded public policies. I found that all my papers [in CORE, Economics, even Spanish] focused on how social and economic policies affected people. When looking through the course catalog for the upcoming year, the classes that sparked my interest the most were all in the Public Policy Analysis Department.

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In regards to a career, my extensive research showed me that there is absolutely no way I can formulate a definite career path at age 20. Careers take twists and turns, hit bumps, and are fast-tracked. My internship experience has told me a lot more about what type of career I want than quizzes or friends’ opinions. I enjoyed the exciting pace of legislative work, and how it was always tied in to relevant events. I also enjoyed working in all-women environments, which I have been able to do for the past two summers [and at Scripps]. I also learned that it’s good to have long-term goals, but it might be more practical to have short-term goals [i.e. where do I want to be right after college, not where do I want to be before I retire]. So if you’re unsure the answers to life’s “big” questions, do. not. panic. By focusing on what I’m interested in at the moment [public policy, women’s rights, labor economics] and beginning to formulate short-term plans [researching graduate schools] I do not feel overwhelmed, but I do feel productive!

An Indecisive Narrative

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I am certainly one of those college students who changed my mind about my major hundreds of time. There was even a short 10 minutes when I considered the 3-2 Engineering program–spoiler: that was NOT going to happen as you have to plan for that starting day one. I came to Scripps wanting to be an Economics and Politics major, but quickly changed my mind. Neither were really my passions and I especially did not enjoy my politics classes. The question was: now what? And trust me, everyone was asking.  My friends still tease me about my major selection process, and I have to admit that it doesn’t feel good to feel like the one who doesn’t have it all figured out. Unlike me, my best friend always knew she’d be a Neuroscience major and my boyfriend always knew he’d be a Computer Science major–I felt like the odd one out.

It took some stumbling along the way, but taking Arabic really shaped what I wanted to do. I wanted to somehow incorporate Arabic into a major because I love it so much and want to keep learning about the language. At first, I thought to do Late Antique Medieval Studies through Pomona, but eventually have decided to do Middle East & North African Studies because more language courses can count towards that major, so I can study Arabic for longer and go abroad easily. I had actually stumbled into doing a lot of the requirements and those politics classes that I thought were a waste counted as electives. Phew. That took a while. But I wasn’t satisfied.

Gee thanks, XKCD....

Gee thanks, XKCD….

Last summer–at the tail end–I switched into an English class. I had never once considered studying English in college. After all the talk about how unprofitable it is, I don’t think it once crossed my mind even though I absolutely love literature, arguments, and reading. English, of course, is perfect for me. I get to pick apart texts and read fantastic literature for homework! I have had great experiences with Scripps English faculty and am enjoying my very first Pitzer class as well.

However, then comes the inevitable question I always dread: so….what’re you going to do with that? I’m not completely sure. I want to go to law school and English lends itself really well to law. Learning a second language is a good and marketable skill, so I can easily sell my Arabic skills. But should I have to? I am challenging myself and learning in a way that makes me happy and fulfilled. Scripps prepares well rounded women who can learn to market their liberal arts skills.

If you’re considering an “unprofitable” major, my best advice is to go with what makes you happy. I didn’t decide to be an Economics major because I wasn’t excited by Economics or the job prospects that many of the Scripps Economics majors have. It’s not my thing. If you’re doing a major that isn’t your real interest because you think it’ll lead to a good career, think about what those careers are and why you want to pursue them first. I’ve had Scripps students say things to me like “English majors like you are the reason Scripps doesn’t make as much money [in donations],” which is not true. Some people will be negative about your choices, but that doesn’t mean you should stray from what makes you happy.

You study here, right?

You study here, right?

In fact, you may be much better at selling that Anthropology major that you adore than the Computer Science major that you feel rather meh about. Remember that you can always take Statistics, Economics, Accounting, Computer Science, etc courses to put on a resume without having to really commit to a major that you’re unhappy with. Stay true to yourself and your goals and be okay with those things changing. College isn’t where we have to figure it all out, but it is a unique opportunity to learn and grow in the way you choose to.

A Quirky Career

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A small auditorium packed to the brim with women all staring at a large poster of a vulva and entranced by a woman who is explaining all of the unsaid wonders of what lies between the legs of over half the world’s population. This was a few Fridays ago at Scripps: two hours of Ashley Manta, a sex educator from Pleasure Chest (a major sex toy company) spreading her wisdom of all things related to the vagina.

As I watched her explanations with my jaw to the floor, I would sneak a peek at the other audience members who showed a similar level of shock. I was low-key embarrassed at how in shock I was. Nevertheless, this woman was single-handedly enlightening an entire room of people effortlessly with her knowledge of vulvas. As I began to think more in-depth about Ashley’s occupation, I was fascinated at the significant stamp she will leave on the audience who listen to her. She acts as a prophet to identifying women everywhere- covering the all of the forever questioned thoughts regarding periods, orgasms, hygiene, masturbation, STIs, contraception, and every little thing in between.

What was unspoken before, was unleashed thanks to Ashley and her ability to speak openly and honestly. I have looked her up and found her website, which is a portal to all the good she does. She writes blogs, books, articles, and even has a podcast regarding sex education awareness. Along with broadening my knowledge of sex education, Ashley gives a new spin to career planning. In college she majored in Philosophy and minored in Women Studies. Although these subjects definitely have relevance in Sex Education, it is refreshing to know that she did not feel woven down into her college majors. Her irregular and miscellaneous career is meaningful and makes a difference in our cultural epidemic of ignorant vulvas.