ABOUT a year and a half ago, partly inspired, I believe, by my frenzied attempt to find direction for the rest of my life, I wrote a column advising students like me to be pro-active in the quest to declare a major. "Read the Undergraduate Record online until the words begin to pop off the screen," I said. Well, after four semesters at the University, I'd like to retract that advice. In my infinite rising third-year wisdom, I'd like to say to anyone vacillating on a major: chill.
Right now you may know you want to take over your father's medical practice. You might want to be the superstar U.S. attorney. But believe you me, that will all probably change. Quickly.
Thankfully, I can laugh at all the phases I went through in deciding what I wanted to major in -- a decision which now seems paltry in comparison to everything else I've encountered in college. Before I'd even stepped on Grounds, I was determined to be an astrophysics major. I'd seen "Apollo 13" too many times. The idea began to depress me once I looked at the planned schedule for that major. Houston, we had a problem.
That phase was rather brief. Then I settled on majoring in archaeology. I'd seen "Raiders of the Lost Ark" too many times. I figured digging up a couple of hundred year-old bottles in my backyard was indeed a solid foundation for a career in that area. My parents were doubtful of the feasibility of pursing a stable job in archaeology. So I decided to tack on biology as a second major. Just for kicks. Mind you, this was all before I'd even moved into my Alderman Road fishbowl.
First year began innocently enough, butat about the time I realized I was barely passing BIOL 203, I had an epiphany. Everything I was doing, everything I was working for was leading to the long road to nowhere. Archeology was interesting enough, and the novelty of being shoulder high in digs sounded neat, but I didn't want to do it for life.
And as for bio, I was a disaster in the lab. I broke glass. I burned myself with acid. It had to go.
To make a long story longer, I changed my major to English. I found salvation in the words of Shakespeare and Austen
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