It’s that time of year again. The squirrels are frolicking, the brown water of our lovely Genesee is flowing in full force, the Quidditch team has returned to practice during normally inconvenient hours for everyone else in Fauver; oh, and the school is hounding freshmen and sophomores to declare what they will pursue for the rest of their college careers. For some of you (the ones who have their life figured out), these next 10 days prior to declaring one’s major will be a relaxing time in between midterms and finals where spring and the balmy 50 degree weather can be enjoyed to its fullest with more studying, but this time, on the porch of Rush Rhees. Others, on the other hand, are rather unsure. They typically answer every question from parents about the topic with a swift, “I just don’t know what to declare, Mom and Dad! UR has too many opportunities, and I feel like declaring too early, like when you are supposed to, would limit me!”
A similar response coincides when asked about why I don’t have a girlfriend, but I think they figured out that one is a lie. Either way, here are a few strategies to figure out how to declare your major.
First off, flipping a coin never hurts. If you are like me, the angel and the devil on your shoulder who make decisions in cartoons haven’t appeared yet, so tough decisions are a predicament. With that in mind, if you are between two majors, I like to think that the angel will at least have the power to make a coin land on the correct side. I personally guarantee that this method will set you on the right path 100% of 50% of the time!
A second strategy is to consider the jokes on the department t-shirts or within the field as a whole. Although most of us will probably work in a field somewhat different than our major, you still have, at minimum, two years to capitalize on the same pun with every new face you meet. I’ve been wearing my, “Never trust an atom, they make up everything!” t-shirt for years, and every new person I meet finds it funny for at least the first two days I wear it.
A third and final strategy is to delay the inevitable and push it back another semester. I heard the school might buzz a bit about it and send you some emails that can sting, but, if it’s the option for you, no one will blame you. They may change your years to a grade below but who knows? Maybe the younger year is a bit slower to claiming the free t-shirts that I always arrive late to.
Good luck with this possibly crucial decision, and I hope to see you with those stickers that I think the school tries to use to encourage us to declare.
Kuhrt is a member of
the class of 2017.
