One blessing of the American higher education system is that we are encouraged to explore a variety of fields of study. We can take a course, hate it and then recreate ourselves with a new major the following semester. It’s called trial and error.
For some people, choosing a major is filled with indecision and angst. We pick a major and then agonize over whether to change it, thinking the decision will determine the success of our future. Ten years later, we sometimes come to realize the subject of our undergraduate degree probably didn’t matter so much. At this university there are more than 100 majors to choose from. If that isn’t enough, you can make your own. This array of choices highlights the diversity of skills and curiosity among our student body.
I recently set out to ask a simple question: Why do we choose the majors we do? I was curious whether students are motivated most by dollar signs, pressure from parents and the prospects of obtaining a job upon graduation, or whether students truly followed their passions regardless of what the future may hold.
I conducted an informal survey among students relaxing on McKeldin Mall. (Disclaimer: Any statistician could refute my findings as unscientific. However, my sample size was random and it did include more than 30 people. Luckily, my range of responses based off informal conversations actually proves my point; we are all unique).
I asked four questions: 1. What is your year and major? 2. Why did you choose your major? 3. How does your choice of major explain something about who you are? 4. Did you pick your major based on personal interest or on the practicality of investing for the future (such as a high salary payoff)?
I anticipated more people being motivated by the prospect of a profitable job than what I actually found. Maybe that’s because I didn’t encounter enough pre-med or business students. The majority of respondents were studying psychology, philosophy, English or government and politics. I found students are genuinely passionate and interested in what they choose to study despite any uncertainty of job prospects.
One English major explained that analyzing literature is parallel to being able to look at one’s surroundings from different angles. A mechanical engineering student explained that understanding the laws of nature and how things work enables people to push those boundaries to make devices and tools. Despite two vastly different majors, the two students came to very similar conclusions about using their respective passions and ways of thinking to understand and look at the world.
Answering why someone chose his or her major is deeper than the simple response of, “because I like it.” The decision explains something insightful about who a person is. By asking someone about their choice, you come to learn which high school class or college course sparked a new interest. You hear about the person who most inspires someone or about an impactful life experience. It explains a person’s aspirations, strengths and what makes them tick. You even come to understand the lenses through which that person looks at the world.
Try asking your friends why they chose their major. I bet you’ll discover something insightful, because our choice of major opens up a story into who we are.
Jennifer Schwarz is a senior environmental science and policy major. She can be reached at schwarz@umdbk.com.
