Tufts Blogs

About a month ago, I did what so many college students are afraid of doing: I declared my major. At Tufts, you are required to declare at least one major by March of your sophomore year, but I decided to declare in mid-September of my sophomore year. Trying to figure out what to major in can be daunting, but I am here to tell you that you will find something you are interested in majoring in! When I arrived at Tufts last Fall, I had an inkling that I wanted to major in English, but I wasn’t completely sure, and I was worried about choosing the wrong major. In addition to English, I was also interested in Film and Media Studies, History, and Theater and Performance Studies. Choosing a major can seem like a stressful or scary experience, but it doesn’t have to be. 

Although it sounds cliché to say, when you know, you know. Last Fall, I attended the English Department open house. As soon as I walked into the room, I felt at home. I was able to speak with a few professors about the major and different class options, and I remember thinking, “Wow, all of these professors are so amazing and I want to learn from every single one of them.” Although I didn’t declare my major until almost exactly a year after that open house, I knew from that moment on that those were the professors I wanted to learn from. I was so afraid of making the wrong choice that I tried to push down those feelings until ‘I was sure,’ whatever that was supposed to mean. Though I am a planner to my core, choosing a major also requires an emotional component that cannot be planned. Though I had a plan going in, to take certain classes, visit open houses, etc., the only way to truly decide if a major is right for you is to notice how you feel in certain classes, around different professors, etc.; that will be the true test. 

In addition to the emotional component of choosing a major, there are some logical steps I took that helped me solidify my choice. When I was considering what to major in, I knew it was important to take classes or get involved with the departments I was interested in. Last year, I took two history classes and one English class. This year, I am taking two English classes, and two Film and Media Studies classes, and I am participating in a student theater production with Tufts’ student theater group the 3ps (Pen, Paint, and Pretzels). After taking an English class last semester on British Lit 1780-1950, I was in love. My Short Fiction class this semester has only reaffirmed my love of English and, more specifically, the English Department here at Tufts. The first step to choosing a major is finding courses in a subject that you are deeply passionate about. 

After I finished my freshman year, I was planning on declaring English as my major at the end of the Fall of my sophomore year, but then I realized, why wait? I was sure I wanted to major in English, but I was so afraid that I would second guess my choice and be ‘wrong.’ One thing many of us forget when declaring a major is that yes, you can change it! While I don’t think I will be changing my major, it is important to remember that I always have the option if I need it. 

Once I decided that I wanted to declare my major, I reached out to the professor who taught the British Literature class I took last Spring and asked if he would be my advisor. He happily said yes and I met with him to finalize everything and just to connect about the major. After almost an hour of chatting about the major, creative writing, study abroad, and a myriad of other topics, I left my meeting feeling not only confident in my decision to declare English as my major, but also extremely excited for my journey ahead at Tufts in the English department. Though my experience of choosing a major may be different from others, I believe there is one universal idea that every person who has declared a major can agree on: as much as you may plan for something to be your major, you can never plan for your emotional response to those plans. Listen to how you are feeling in your classes, conversations, and even in the buildings you’re taking classes in. Choose the major where you feel at home and excited for all that is to come.