Instead of writing about another major and the students who love it, for the final installment of Majoring in TV, I thought I’d give a shout out to those without any major at all.
It may not always be apparent, but there are other students who haven’t yet chosen the subject that will dominate both their class schedules and their conversations at future cocktail parties. But though the major-less masses are in Columbia’s classrooms, clubs, and dorms, they are generally not on students’ television screens.
When looking for inspiration from television while searching for a major, popular shows like Grey’s Anatomy, CSI, and Bones will likely not be of any help—they represent glorified professions that require years of education. To the detriment of confused college freshmen and sophomores everywhere, they also encourage the popular notion that majors actually matter.
YuFei Jin, BC ’11, agrees that choosing a major is, in a way, choosing a future. “I think in this fast-paced society, it [choosing a major] does matter. A lot,” she explained, “since what you study now can help or hurt you in terms of getting internships, into study abroad programs, starter jobs, and specific graduate schools.”
Perhaps another way of approaching major selection is to hold to the idea that majors don’t matter. I know I was fed this line several times, but is it true? And more importantly (for the purpose of this series, anyway), is there a television show that confirms its truth?
The closest and perhaps most depressing confirmation is The Office. Yes, it’s a college phenomenon of sorts, but I doubt people are watching that show and thinking that’s where they want their majors to take them. Dunder Mifflin is the kind of corporate middleman environment that is an equal-opportunity soul crusher. To corporate America, specific majors aren’t really that important.
For most Columbia undergrads, the goal is to find something they like and study it. According the Columbia Center for Student Advising’s Web site, everyone should be able to do that in a year and a half: “Ideally by now you have developed your interests to the point where you are ready to focus your academic energies for the rest of your time at Columbia.”
Joy Lee, CC ’12, said that she feels the frustration of having to decide her future on a deadline. “Although it’s annoying to be uncertain about the future, at this point, I think it’s better to be overwhelmed with multiple options” since, she said, it forces students to explore a possible range of interests.
Casey Curnan, BC ’11, explained how she selected her major by the time declarations were due. “I ended up choosing a major—American Studies—that will let me combine a lot of the subjects that I like into one, which I’m really excited about.”
Perhaps if Cappie (Scott Michael Foster), from ABC Family’s hit show Greek, had the selection of interdisciplinary majors afforded to students like Curnan, the second semester junior might have a major by now.
And given the amount of emphasis this institution places on liberal arts, there are many majors, concentrations, and combined majors available. Some surprisingly intriguing majors students may not have heard of are Sustainable Development, Jazz Studies, Evolutionary Biology of the Human Species, and Environmental Policy. Most of these majors combine classes from several departments, giving students the opportunity to study many areas under one theme.
Even so, my advice for those who are lacking a focus for their college careers may go unheeded. Many, if not most, students in the Columbia community seem to know exactly what they want to major in and where they want to go with that.
Perhaps Columbia draws those of us lucky enough to find our passion at a young age, or at least find a subject that doesn’t make us want to rip our hair out. If that is the case, then students should kick back and watch a little TV—they might just learn something.
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