A major problem

The question I dreaded the most on my college applications was: "What is your intended major?" I had no clue, and to be frank, I found it ridiculous that colleges expected 18 year-olds to choose an academic discipline. I still filled the question out with either engineering or political science, depending on the college's strengths. When I chose to come to NYUAD, a liberal arts college, I thought that I would not feel pressured to choose my major so early on like at other universities. This is true, but only partially.

For now, I am following a major called Social Research and Public Policy (SRPP). But after a month or so, I realized that I really don't see myself dedicating four years (if not more) of my life pursuing this discipline. So here I am, contemplating which classes to take next semester and waiting for the enrollment to open later this week. I am keen on exploring Interactive Media (IM), a developing major that combines the Arts and Computer Science.

As I still meet new people and they ask me of my major, I say that I wanted to study SRPP but am now considering IM. Most reactions from upperclassmen and professors are positive, reaffirming that this school truly wants the freshmen to spend their first year exploring various fields. Yet, I cannot help but to compare myself to other first years, most of whom appear to have identified their goals. They have been working on their CV throughout high school and are actively looking for internships and on-campus opportunities related to their field of study. On the other hand, I haven't even taken a single IM class, so I'm still not sure about what I will my major in.

So this is what I mean when I say it is only partially true that I don't feel the pressure to choose my major early. The system put in place definitely encourages me not to worry, but this is a hard task when you are surrounded by many young talented people with strong passion.

But I am glad that I have this major problem because this means that I at least have the power to choose what I want to study, which is not the case for everyone around the world. In Korea, one must decide to study either humanities or sciences in their junior year. Fortunately, I am at an institution that values multidisciplinary studies. This is another thing that should go on the list of why I am glad to be at NYUAD.