our.eclectic.world

Outcry of a college student

The time has come. I’ve avoided it for quite sometime, but I think it’s time that I confront one of my worst fears: choosing a major. Now, I’m positive that I’m not the only person that has had a phobia of settling down on a major. I’ve rotated my default answers quite a few times as a response to the penetrating questions I’m often asked. I’ve told people that I’m a psychology major, anthropology major, sociology major, international relations, communications, etc. However, I’ve yet to declare a major besides behavioral science (which, as a side note, I’m not perfectly convinced I really want to major in). I’ve been in school for a little over two years, taking various classes and waiting for a major to speak so clearly to my confused mind that I give up all other options and quickly align myself with my new found love. I once did an interview with an online magazine in which I claimed that the reason for my despondency was a part of a greater confusion that pervades a distinct culture. I argued that this culture consisted of artists who were once glorified and allowed to express themselves while gaining income but due to a shift in cultural values they were no longer venerated and thus were left confused and clueless as to their new niche in society. To put it plainly, the shift towards big business and the exaltation of capitalism lead to a sort of social displacement and reassignment for artists making it difficult for them to make a living from art. Now, I’m not saying that their isn’t some legitimacy to my prior claim, but I don’t think that’s why I’m having a hard time choosing a major. I’m not even sure I would necessarily call myself an artist. So…what is the problem? Why do so many college students have such a difficult time choosing a path, even an ambiguous one? Perhaps it’s because so many of us are fickle and are terrified by the idea of permanence. I’m often told to just settle on any major because your undergraduate degree holds little significance if you go on to a masters. However, this idea has never comforted me. I don’t want to choose something because of its practicality. What do you think? Perhaps I’ll quit college and join a traveling circus (Yet, I’m not sure I’d like the circus). =)