A Day in the Life of a First-Year Engineer
Before I started college, I had no idea what a typical day would look like for me. Going from high school where I had 9 40-minute classes that started…
“Actually, I don’t know my schedule for next semester, I haven’t picked my classes yet.”
“Well, I can’t give you an exact time, I haven’t picked my classes yet.”
“I’m kind of stressed out because I don’t have a major advisor and I haven’t picked my classes yet.”
If you’re like me, over-enthusiastic and interested in more than you can handle, registering for classes is hard. And if you’re like me, a soon-to-be second semester sophomore (#alliteration) who hasn’t declared a major yet, registering for classes is even harder. And if you’re like me, and you’ve only taken two classes in the major you think you’ll pick and you don’t know if you’re going to study abroad yet and your presumed career path requires skills found in a department other than your major, registering for only five classes is next to impossible.
Which is why I haven’t picked my classes yet.
A bit of history:
I came to Tufts as a Classics major and film studies minor. When Tufts announced they would be creating a film major, the two subjects reversed roles. Then I considered the possibility of being a drama minor. But I decided there were too many requirements that I didn’t feel strongly about, and dropped the idea. Then I decided to be a film and art history double major with a Classics minor. And somehow, the film was dropped and I began sophomore year thinking I would be an art history major and Classics minor. And then one day, sitting in Dewick, where all major life decisions happen, I settled on art history and drama double major. This is where I stand today.
Now this indecision isn’t a bad thing. Many people come to Tufts with their entire four years planned out, and then one course surprisingly changes all of that. People change their minds. But this indecision does mean that I’m behind on my requirements for no matter which major I choose. Once again, this isn’t a bad thing. I have time. But major requirements are a large consideration when thinking of which classes to register for.
Drama and art history aside, though, I’m actually thinking of going into film when I graduate. So I need to make sure I take advantage of the film classes available to me at Tufts to gain the skills and knowledge I need to be prepared. And then, of course, there are classes that don’t fulfill any requirements—no majors, no distribution, nothing—but that I’m still interested in and would love to take.
So how do I balance all of this? I don’t have an answer. As you now know, I haven’t picked my classes yet. At the time, I’m registered for two drama classes, two art history classes, and an English class—a good balance. But I still can’t get my mind off another drama class I’m interested in and a film class that seems cool. Which brings up the whole other question of which classes don’t I take??
I’ll let you know the secret to balancing the perfect schedule when I’ve found it, but for now I’m like the rest: a girl just trying to navigate her way through the amazing maze that is college. My advisor is there for me when I have questions like these, but her job is just that: to advise. Ultimately, it is up to me to decide which classes mean more to me, and where I will be both happy and challenged. And I’m looking forward to figuring that out.
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