Tufts Blogs

From the time I began applying to colleges up until my sophomore fall this year, I never really knew what I wanted to major in. All I knew was that I wanted to be on the pre-med track, so anytime I saw the question on an application I would select a STEM related field to “prove” how dedicated I was to being on the pre-med track. However, I knew I was lying to myself. I had so many other passions that surpassed science, yet I kept finding myself suppressing the urge to question why it was that I kept putting down “Biology”, “Biochemistry”, and “Chemistry” as my intended major on applications. I remember feeling on edge every time a family member, teacher, guidance counselor, or even a friend would ask, “What do you plan on majoring in at college?”. I dreaded the question, and every time my answer changed. I lied when my mother was around and would say a STEM- related field to make her happy because I knew that was what she wanted for her first generation daughter. I began to feel resentment towards the pre-med track and STEM courses, and I thought the only way that I could truly explore my interests was if I dropped the pre-med track altogether.

It wasn’t until I got to Tufts that I realized that I was being irrational and incredibly naïve. I was also lucky enough that my advisor was also the pre-health advisor for students at Tufts who planned on going into health professions, and during our first meeting she changed this outlook I had completely. She had told me that it didn’t matter what I chose to major in if I am on the pre-med track, as long as I am doing the pre-med requirements. She also revealed to me that at Tufts, students don’t have to declare their major until their sophomore year. I was stunned. I remember a faint grin appearing on my face as she bestowed this knowledge upon me.

After that meeting, I signed up for more humanities classes and met more students who were on the pre-med track and were also majoring in fields outside of STEM. I felt free and at ease for the first time. I think the task of choosing my major was so daunting to me because I’m a first generation college student and the daughter of two immigrants. With this identity, comes an immense pressure and expectations that I continue to run from to this day. That being said, I think it is because of these identities along other aspects of myself that has motivated me to want to pursue medicine and double major in Child Study and Human Development and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. For the first time I am not afraid for people to ask me, “So, what are you majoring in?”.