Choosing majors a personal journey

By Christine Pao     9/10/09 7:00pm

By now, it has become devastatingly clear that the summer is no more - stacks of books, unending problem sets and dozens of exams and papers remind us that we are in for a long, grueling semester of nonstop academia.For those students still working their way through their first or second years (or a select few in their third, fourth or even fifth), the daunting task of choosing majors must be addressed. Although it seems fairly obvious that students should choose their majors based on their interests, some people, for several reasons, just don't get the message.

Maybe you were the overachieving kid who always thought you wanted to be a doctor or engineer, just because it seemed like a proper career for someone of your high intelligence level. You're the type of person who whines about an A-minus and loads up on extracurriculars to prove your superior existence. Well, guess what? You're probably not as smart as you've been brainwashed to think.

Rice may be highly ranked according to U.S. News and World Report, and it may be home to an unusual number of geniuses, but chances are you are not one of them. So get off your high horse and stop ruining what a college education is supposed to be. If a subject doesn't matter to you, don't pretend like it does. You're not fooling anyone but yourself.

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There is also the chance that you've been severely oppressed by your parental units throughout your entire life - perhaps they constantly make it a point for you to choose a major they believe is best for you. Well, screw your parents. Although they are most likely the ones funding your college education, your voice is ultimately the only one that matters in terms of choosing which direction your future will take.

You are an adult. You make your own decisions. There is absolutely no reason for you to adopt someone else's expectations as your own.

Worst of all, you could be one of those horrible people who choose a major based on its potential career profitability. Just go ahead and throw away all your ambitions of being a screenwriter, a photojournalist, an anthropologist - bask in the wealth of your six-figure salary while your peers struggle to find jobs amidst the full swing of the recession. But fear not: The satisfaction of financial security will wear thin before long, and you will rot away in the emptiness of your life, wondering what could have been.

For the record, I'm not criticizing those who have chosen the pre-med or engineering route - by all means, if that's what you want to do, then do it. But I cannot stress enough how vital it is to choose a major that interests you.

The practicality of a major may appear to be the most important factor in these financially troubled times. Job availability after graduation is a legitimate concern. But as students, what are we if we don't follow our academic passions? Our education loses its value when we lose our drive, our hunger, to learn. So do what you love, and forget the rest.

Ideally, choosing a major that interests you will be coupled with a job that interests you. At the very least, you'll always know that you did something that matters to you.

Plus, following those passions will make your problem sets and papers all the more manageable, which should be worth it any day.

Christine Pao is a Martel College sophomore and Thresher opinion editor.

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