What to major in?
When I was researching colleges, I got so caught up in student life and extra curricular and location and dorm info, that I sometimes forgot that the whole point of college is to take classes. Once I narrowed my college search down a little though and reminded myself that I was going to school for an education, I really enjoyed looking through class offerings and imagining what it would be like to take these classes.
Imagining how I would enjoy different classes also helped me pick out what majors I might be interested in, and then focus on those to see if I might be interested in those areas more seriously. So I thought it might be nice to share what classes I'm taking, so you might be able to imagine life as a junior political science or Hispanic studies major.
You can check out class offerings for recent semesters here. (Also, just a quick note that most people take 4 classes a semester, I just like to overload and take 5 most semesters because I love classes and want to fit in as many as possible in my time at LC)
Constitutional Law
This is the second Con Law class I am taking, and I really enjoy it, but it does have a reputation for being a really tough class. You have to come to class prepared to justify your opinions and debate different points of the case readings. It is a bit terrifying sometimes, but in a good way that leaves you feeling like you've really learned a lot.
Government and the Economy
This is a really fun class that is basically a reading discussion group on the intersection between government and the economy. We are looking at several public policy topics including education, labor unions and the middle class, mass incarceration, and housing. The readings for this are really engaging and I enjoy sitting down each night before class to get the reading done, because I know we'll have a great conversation in class.
Spanis 360
This class covers Spanish literature from the beginning of the Spanish language (pre-Colombian) all the way through to the baroque period. Sometimes the literature isn't as exciting as in other Spanish lit classes, but it's an important cornerstone of the Hispanic studies curriculum, and I absolutely love the professor who teaches it, he does a great job of helping us understand texts even when the old style Spanish is challenging.
Spanis 440
This is an upper-level Spanish literature class focused on science fiction, and I've really been enjoying it. These 400 level Spanish classes are all designed by professors based on what they are passionate about, so the class is extra exciting because the professors is really into the topic. the science fiction stories so far have been really interesting and I'm enjoying learning about the genre in an academic way.
Fundamentals of Design
This class is housed within the theater department, but it focuses on the basic elements of any type of design, but in this context mostly graphic design. This is definitely something outside my majors, and I really like that I have the opportunity to take things that interest me outside of my majors. I'm enjoying learning about design and seeing these principles in my everyday surroundings.
Work and Extra-Curriculars
Along with these classes, I also have 3 part-time jobs on campus. I work with the admissions department as a tour guide and on various online initiatives and visits. I really enjoy getting to talk about Lewis & Clark because I really love going to school here and it's fun to share my experiences with people. I also have a job as an office assistant in the Dean of Student Office. I have appreciated getting to know some more of the technical administrative sides of how a college runs, and I also really love working with our the Dean of students, she's really cool and great to work for. And finally, I am the Student Organizations Coordinator for the Associated Student of Lewis and Clark (ASLC our student government). That's a lot of long titles to say that I have an elected position where I help distribute funding to student organizations, and I do a lot of odd jobs within student government.
Take Aways
There are so many different paths that you can imagine for yourself as you go on your college journey, I hope imagining walking down a path like mine can help you figure out the things that you're excited about for college (and even the things that you might want o to avoid, that's good too).
if you have any questions or want to chat about LC, email me at quentingaul@lclark.edu