A Major Change

On the road of being a college student, one huge factor is your major. Don't know what you want to major in? No problem. Many colleges offer Undecided or Exploratory tracks. At any liberal arts college, most of the Liberal Studies courses take place during your first and second years that allow you to delve into many areas where you can discover your interests. At Saint Michael's, you can check out any of these majors or minors that you might be interested in.

Typically one declares their major at the end of their second year or beginning of the third. Only a few students come in freshman year with a declared major. I entered SMC as a Classical Civilizations/Anthropology double major. After taking a few summer courses to get some LSRs under my belt, I was able to take courses that would advance me in my majors. After first semester, I realized I had other interests and changed my double major to Elementary Education and Theatre. Halfway through the semester I changed it yet again to Secondary Education.

Recently I had pondered many of my other interests...and mapped them out on all these papers! My Faith Mom and I had a huge bonding sesh to figure out what I wanted. It came with hard questions and tears, but in the end I was feeling content and I was thoroughly excited about my decisions. I think it's really good to physically see what you want to accomplish and what you are interested in. I recommend writing down a list of these things:

• Any high school classes that you really enjoyed
• How you want to make a difference
• What your interests are outside of the classroom
• What you know you DON'T want to take
• A suitable environment/schedule you see yourself pursuing in a job
• Any jobs that you are interested in

Once you figure that out, start focusing on what courses you're gonna take. Make sure you take ones that interest you! I cannot stress that enough. Granted some LSR courses may seem tedious, but especially at Saint Michael's, the curriculum offered is so vast and expansive that you can most likely find something that pertains to your interests.

I also recommend creating a folder with each of your semesters marked off. Put sticky notes with the courses you want to take and put them where you think you want to take them/when they'll be offered. After numerous revisions, I have set up my schedule to include courses I am interested in as well as fulfilling my potential double major in History and Theatre with a minor in Classics. Sounds crazy right? For the average college student, one might change their major 2/3 times before picking one they truly enjoy. No worries though; there is enough time to develop your interests and pursue your major.

Granted I am loving the summer, but I can't wait for the semester to start! I can't wait to see my SMC friends again and enjoy all the fun times that are sure to be had.