So, What's Your Major?
/“So, what’s your major?”. For many, this is just an ice-breaker—a go-to query to prevent awkward lulls in conversation—but for those of us who are undecided, it’s the dreaded question we constantly have to field at family dinners and introductions. All of freshman year I attempted to formulate an answer that didn’t make me sound like a flounderer with commitment issues:
“I’m not sure yet. Maybe anthropology?”
“Criminology looks cool, but I don't know” (fun fact: Penn is the only ivy to offer a crim major!)
I switched so many times that my roommates began asking what my “major of the week” was. They thought that was funny. Me? Not so much. The problem for most of us that fall under the undecided umbrella is not a lack of interests, but too many. This produced somewhat of a dilemma when course registration rolled around: I wanted to take everything! Politics of Food? Sign me up! Infectious Diseases? Seems topical. Sex with Shakespeare? Sure, why not? Without a major to guide my choices, I didn’t feel pressure to pursue only one path. I dipped my toes in just about everything, satiating my curiosity while allowing myself to give each subject a fair shake.
While psychology turned out to be “the one”, I don’t regret any of the courses I've taken. Each one refined different skills and offered opportunities to connect with a new set of professors and students—that, my friends, is the beauty of a liberal arts education. *Eyeroll* I know, but the College is the perfect place to be undecided (even if you have to field the dreaded question until you finally figure it out).
- Julia P.