As Turkey Day approaches, there are many things to look forward to: spiced aromas, full bellies and four blissful days to catch up on rest, if desired.
There is also the possibility of catching up with friends who have been absent in our lives for whatever period of time. As fun as it may be to see old faces, it can sometimes be the most painful experience imaginable.
Take for instance, the age-old question of, What's your major?"" As if the average college student is not asked this enough at school, we are constantly bombarded by this daunting question.
For all you ""decideds"" reading this, stop, it does not pertain to you, though you may be able to sympathize.
Why is this question so annoying? It should be obvious, but in case it is not, there is room to elaborate. It forces the interviewee to think about their life. It requires putting your life into perspective and evaluating whether or not anything significant has been accomplished. This is never a fun thing to do.
This can be quite the task because if
there is a deficit of accomplishments, it is just going to leave the interviewee feeling even worse. Being asked about a major is frustrating because it is a question undecideds, like myself, ask themselves almost everyday. As if we do not worry and contemplate enough, I don't need to worry about it on my first break since August.
Class scheduling comes up faster than
expected and then again we are forced to think about our majors. What classes do I have to take to be an undecided?
Why doesn't UW just create an undecided major that consists of a generic liberal arts degree? There would be classes in all subjects, but then, most importantly, you would graduate with a degree. It would certainly make picking classes, of the 4,000-plus offered, a lot easier.
It's not like we all put the degree we get to use as soon as we graduate. There are plenty of us who never think twice about our college degree, there are some who go to grad school for something completely different. Then there are those, of course, who are lucky enough to find a job.
Does a major even matter anymore? Lately it seems like the answer is no. Grad school is where it's at, but that does not mean an undergraduate degree is meaningless. It just means study what you like and ignore the annoying questions aunts and uncles are so good at asking.
At the dinner table on Thanksgiving, wherever you are, celebrate your lack of knowing what the future holds and be thankful for being a young and vibrant college student who is ""testing the waters"" as parents sometimes say.
Peter Zook is a sophomore who has an undecided major. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
