Monday, February 9, 1998
In major trouble
STRESS It’s one of the biggest decisions
of your life … but no pressure
By Carol McKay
Daily Bruin Staff
Marisa Callaghan had big plans to major in microbiology and
molecular genetics. Then she took her first chemistry class.
"That changed everything. I was taking an English class last
quarter too, and that went good, so I started thinking about
English," said the currently confused student.
These mixed feelings are not uncommon among first- and
second-year students. In fact, they probably run rampant through
the minds of the "undeclared."
Students often come to college with an idea of what they would
like to study. This will usually change several times before they
finally settle on an area of interest.
After considering the career possibilities of an English major,
Callaghan moved onto psychology, where she has been happy for the
last four weeks.
"I was thinking, ‘What do I want to do when I grow up?’ and I
decided that I could either be a lawyer or a teacher (with an
English degree)," she said, adding that neither of those careers
interested her.
So now she’s a student without a major, contemplating
psychology, but not seriously enough to put it in writing.
"I’m going to keep taking classes and see how it goes. I know
I’m not very settled yet, and I can totally picture myself
switching again."
Despite Callaghan’s uncertainties, she is lucky that the
decision isn’t causing her serious stress. According to a
counseling assistant at the College of Letters and Science,
declaring a major is one of the most common reasons students seek
advice. And it’s often painful to watch.
"I had a student in here this afternoon freaking out because he
wants to be an English major but his dad wants him to do something
practical, like chemistry of all things," said Karen Rose, a
graduate student who counsels in English.
"Selecting a major causes a lot of stress. It locks you into a
series of classes, so it is an important decision."
Rose estimates that between 25 to 50 percent of the students she
sees have difficulty selecting their major. With so many choices,
pressure from parents and peers, and graduate school competition,
it is easy to understand why it’s such a stressful matter.
"When you know that all of your friends have their majors and
are working towards them, you see that they have direction, and you
may not be," Rose said. "It’s one of the first really important
decisions that you have to make."
The quarter system, Rose added, may also be a source of stress.
"The weeks just fly by, and it can increase your sense of
urgency."
The abundance of majors at UCLA may also add to the difficulties
of arriving at a decision. The number of choices can seem
overwhelming.
As a remedy, the College of Letters and Science offers numerous
brochures, booklets and workshops for students having trouble
deciding. Counselors are available five days a week to help
students as well.
"We encourage them to pick a major that they’re interested in.
We always say ‘Follow your heart,’" Rose said.
However, the counselors don’t discourage practicality.
"At the same time, there’s going to be some point that you’re
going to have to be practical and choose something that will help
you in the future," Rose said. "You’re not always going to be a
student."
Students also need to understand the difference between a
bachelor’s and a professional degree, she added.
"The degree here isn’t meant to teach someone a profession. A
degree is a stepping stone to other things, and students don’t
always understand that."
The option of double-majoring, Rose said, often complicates the
decision even more. "If you take 16 units every quarter and during
the summer, you can do it, but every class has to be a major class.
You can’t take as many electives."
Although many first- and second-year students stress over the
decision, Rose said, there isn’t as big of a rush as it seems.
"They say you should declare by the time you have 90 units, and
students may feel self-conscious about it if their 90-unit mark is
coming up and they’re still not sure."
However, she assures students that they’re not going to receive
any penalty if they haven’t declared by the time they reach their
90 units. "It’s just that you only have so many units left, and
they’ll have to mostly be for your major."
Even with plenty of time remaining for a decision, however, some
students aren’t so calm.
"I’m not extremely worried right now; I just don’t want to be
taking classes that I won’t use later," said Gloria Lin, a
first-year psychobiology student currently planning to study
political science.
Despite the fact that she entered as a psychobiology student,
Lin said that she never intended to follow that path.
"There’s a funny story about why I put ‘psychobio’ on my
application. I had no idea what to put down, and I guess I just
thought it sounded neat," Lin said.
This quarter, Lin is taking her first political science class
and deciding if it is the right major for her. After seeing the
film "The War Room" last year on the Bravo channel, Lin said she
was inspired to pursue political science.
"I was thinking about poli sci, but now I don’t know if I can
handle it," she said, after completing her first midterm in the
class this week. "But I’ll see how I do."
Other students see their first years as a period of exploration.
"I came here with no idea, and I’m still not ready to make a
decision," said Bob Firpo, a first-year undeclared student, whose
attention has been grabbed by several areas including business
economics and political science.
"I’m pretty sure I’ll stick to North Campus, and I know I’ll
figure it out eventually, but I know I still have a long time."