Sophomore scramble for major selection gets creative

"The major form is due today. The registrar insists that I filled it out wrong, but the department says I've filled it out correctly. FML."

Last Wednesday, a large portion of the sophomore class (apparently, the author of the above FML included) scrambled to the Registrar's office to submit the papers that would direct their courses of study over the next two years.

For some, the task was hardly onerous. "It was a pretty clear decision for me, because I couldn't see myself majoring in anything else," said Adeline Tan '12, who has declared a major in Economics. "I really do like [the subject]. I actually had been considering IR-Political Science or just Political Science for my first year and a little bit of sophomore year, but I decided after taking a political science course last semester that it wasn't quite the thing for me—even though I actually did enjoy [the course]." Tan's timeline was further accelerated by her decision to study abroad next fall (any student who chooses to do so must hand in her declaration form by Dec. 1 of her sophomore year). "I actually believe it was a good thing for me to decide early," Tan said. "I don't think I'll be switching majors because I am also pre-med, so I don't have too much time to spare."

Should the less medically inclined of us remain ambivalent, the switching process is still easily accomplished. "I decided to change my major because I spent a semester abroad in Edinburgh, and I realized through self-reflection that the one thing I would regret the most after graduating from Wellesley was not being an Art History major," said Janet Chen '10, who recently switched from History. "[The process] didn't involve a lot of work—I just had to fill out a form and that was that. It was incredibly difficult breaking it to my previous major advisor (Ryan Frace), but he was amazingly supportive and he's still my mentor here. That's [one of the things] I love about Wellesley—the professors are always there for you and always support you no matter what decision you make." Although Chen switched her major relatively late, she had no trouble finishing her major requirements; over her four years, she has completed the necessary coursework for both her English and Art History majors, as well as a minor in History. "I just wish I could have finished my History major as well," she muses. Unfortunately for Janet, Wellesley does not allow students to declare three majors, or a minor on top of a double major!

A select number of students have chosen to take advantage of Wellesley's option to design an individual major. "I always knew I wanted to major in Bioethics," said Nicolle Strand '10, who is currently writing her thesis on Genetic Notification at the Framingham Heart Study. "When I was applying to schools, I looked at places that had structured Bioethics programs, but I liked Wellesley for other reasons—and I knew the school allowed me the option of directing my own course of study." For Strand, this has included an amalgam of courses from the Biology, Philosophy, Women's Studies and Sociology departments. In spite of Wellesley's lack of a structured Bioethics program, she appreciates being given the "perfect amount of flexibility" with her courses, as well as the opportunity to work with great professors at MIT. Strand will continue her studies at the University of Pennsylvania next year, where she will pursue a J.D. and a master's degree in Bioethics.

When it comes to breadth of selection, Wellesley's major options are far from lacking. Perhaps the most common grievance is not the burden of selecting an enjoyable major, but rather the limited number of options it is humanly possible to explore before declaration time. "I wish that I just had more time at Wellesley in general, not just for declaring a major, but because I would have liked taking classes in areas which I haven't studied as much before making my decision," said Tan. Chen agreed: "one of my biggest regrets [is] that I didn't get to take more classes outside of my major." Declaring a double major in English and Art History required that 19 out of her 32 credits be taken within the two departments.)

Many students wish they had time for "freedom classes," but with such an extensive catalog, and only 32 credits to spare, how does one make it work? During orientation, Professor Anne Valenchik gave a lecture entitled "How To Finish Your Major in One Semester…or Not." Her point was to push us to explore new subjects, and not get caught up with finishing off requirements. Those of us scheduled to go abroad in fall 2011 should relish another semester of "Undeclared" freedom.