I’m currently in my second semester at Amherst, and many things have changed since I applied to college. As I’m thinking a lot about my future life paths, I think it’d be fun to share some of them with you.
One of the best things about Amherst is that there is little pressure to figure out what I want to do. Whenever I talk to a friend or a professor about my uncertainties, they all encourage me to take it slow and keep my mind open. After all, it’s Amherst College! Although some of my first-year friends have already declared their majors, most are open to exploring a second major! It’s wonderful just how many possibilities Amherst offers me and how supportive everyone is when it comes to charting my own path.
Anyway, to the fun part…
Option 1: Computer Science + Psychology
These are the two majors I put down in my college application. Both were my favorite subjects in high school, and I also pursued a lot of CS and Psych extracurricular activities back then. However, after taking PSYC 100 Introduction to Psychology last semester, I realized that while I was fascinated by the questions psychologists asked, I didn’t like the way they answered them. As a result, I’m reconsidering whether Psychology is truly for me.
Meanwhile, I absolutely adored my Computer Science class! While it’s often painful for me to spend an hour writing a lab report or an argumentative essay, I don’t mind spending hours delving into my coding assignments. I’m pretty sure I’ll be a CS major, but I don’t want to be just a CS major. There are so many other things I can do at Amherst, and I want to make the most out of it!
Option 2: Religion (or Buddhist Studies Certificate) or English
Last semester, a senior told me he used to be a Psychology major but ended up not enjoying the work, so he ended up studying Religion. And he absolutely loved it! That’s when I realized I could turn to the Humanities at Amherst to help me answer my psychological questions.
In fact, my favorite class last semester was a Religion and English class called The Story of the Buddha. While it was a difficult class, I developed a tons of critical thinking skills that none of my CS classes have been able to offer. That’s why I’m taking another English class this semester, excited about the possibility of pursuing the Humanities at Amherst.
Also, do you know that you can get a specialized certificate via the Five College Consortium? There are more than a dozen of them, and I found the Buddhist Studies one quite interesting. For now, I’m keeping this option open. Even if I don’t end up obtaining this certificate or majoring in Religion, I hope to be able to participate in Tibetan Studies in India, an interterm program open to five college students.
Option 3: Education Studies (with the Mt. Holyoke Teacher Licensure)
I’ve always had an interest in education, but I didn’t consider studying it until I attended an Education Studies Open House last semester and fell in love with the department. Amherst also partners with Mt. Holyoke to allow students to obtain a teacher license in Massachusetts. As my English class this semester is also an Education Studies one, I hope to keep exploring the major and figuring out whether education may be a good field for me.
In fact, I recently asked my friends what non-CS major they thought would fit me, and they all said Education Studies! Perhaps I’ll become a teacher instead of a software engineer, who knows?
Option 4: Interdisciplinary Major (Happiness Studies)
Okay, I know this sounds wild, but hear me out! First, do you know that Amherst allows you to design your major? It’s an opportunity for a student to “go beyond the traditional bounds of any one department and create their own program of study.” I actually really like this idea because there are things I think about a lot that don’t necessarily show up in any particular majors. For example, happiness! I initially thought doing a Happiness Studies major would be wild, but then I stumbled upon an article of a Harvard professor who recently started the first MA degree in Happiness Studies. WOW! The sky is truly a limit.
However, I don’t know if I’ll be passionate enough to pursue an interdisciplinary major, so while I’m interested, I’ll keep this option at the back of my mind. For now, I hope to talk to people who have done something like this first and figure out how their experiences are like!
As you can see, there are so many things I can do at Amherst, and that’s why I have no idea who I will become. However, I won’t have to decide my major in another year, so I’ll keep taking relevant classes and talking to people. Regardless of whether I’ll figure it out soon, I truly hope I’ll get to do something I’m passionate about!