That All-Consuming Madness

          There is typically only one thought on the freshmen student's mind: What the bloody hell do I major in?
    The trick to picking a major is simple, really: Don't choose a major until you have taken about half of your general education required classes, and your elective classes should be in several different areas of study. For example, my elective courses included Drafting/Design, Anthropology, Philosophy, and History. I chose Anthropology as my major after taking both Intro. and Cultural Anthropology courses, and History as my minor.
     One thing to keep in mind, though, is that you should also do preliminary research into the fields you are considering. What are the career options associated with that major? How much schooling does it typically require? Are you willing to dedicate that much time and energy to the pursuit of this area of knowledge? Is this something you can see yourself being happy doing years from now? If you are unwilling or unable to meet the requirements of that field, perhaps you should consider switching majors.
     Another important thing to consider is your minor! Quite a few majors, depending on the degree type you are pursuing, will require you to have a minor. Your minor should be something you are interested in and can apply towards your major-oriented career later.
      Meeting with your academic advisor can be stressful and you will probably view it as unneccessary. I personally met with mine once, shortly after enrolling at my community college for the first semester. I was able to plan out my entire course schedule for the four semesters it takes to earn my Associate's by myself, using the course guide and a print-out of the degree requirements. Many colleges do require you to regularly meet with your advisor, however, and they are often better equipped when it comes to planning courses and staying on track.
       It is most important, I feel, to tell the freshmen students entering college for the first time that picking a major/minor is something that can be delayed. They should never feel pressured into picking something simply because their peers already have chosen areas of study to pursue. Many Seniors in colleges and universitites all over the world change their mind a month before graduating, and the average student changes their major over ten times throughout the course of their academic career.
      I just needed to put this out there, for anyone who is struggling with this decision.
Good eventide,
Melissa.