"In Life, we're given two choices as to how to live: As though everything's a miracle, or as if nothing is." -Albert Einstein

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Exploring my major and major exploration

So, now that I've completed my project for GT 1000, on designing a new major out of our groups' combined ones, I feel like I know alot more about my major, MSE. Despite that, I'm more unsure than ever about whether MSE is actually something I'd like to do for the rest of my life, or that it's something I'd be good at.

When I started out at Tech, my major was Undecided Engineering, because I really didn't know what type of engineering most appealed to me, though I knew, for sure, that I did want to go into some type of engineering. I switched to MSE at FASET, because I found out that students only had one guaranteed major change once classes had started, and I didn't want to waste that one chance on changing from undecided to something I might not stick with either. So, I picked MSE, because it seemed like the broadest, most widely applicable major, and it seemed like the best way of staying undecided while actually having a major.

So here's really what I learned through the project. MSE is as vast and diverse as I'd orginially thought, though it involves a good bit of chemistry, which I'm not entirely comfortable with. We actually have the highest average SAT score amongst all the engineering majors on campus, which I found pretty remarkable and which I'm rather proud of. Looking at the job opportunities for my major, and the projected growth rate, MSE looks like it would be a pretty cool place to be, but at the same time, I'm still daunted by the fact that it's a chemistry-based, rather than physics-based, major. This is primarily because I'm struggling with my Chem 1310 class right now, though I'm not sure whether it's because I had next to no chemistry background before Tech, or because it's just not really right for me.

After considering all this, and what classes I'll be taking next semester, I've reached a decision. I'm planning on staying with MSE for at least another semester, and then reevaluating the situation and seeing if I'm genuinely interested in it. Next semester, I'll have the first of my major-based classes, MSE 1111, and I'm hoping this will give me a better idea of what MSE really does. I'll also have HP Physics 2211, and so I'm waiting until after that class, so I can judge whether I like it or chemistry better. If I find chemistry to be more palatable, I'll definitely stick with MSE, but if physics is much easier or more enjoyable, I'll probably switch to a physics-based engineering major. Of those, I'm considering AE or Civil, because I know a bit more about them.

All in all, it's going to be a rather long, drawn-out process of trying to decide what to major in, and what I want to do with my life. :)

On an unrelated note, my thoughts about registration day:
http://beautyberry-marmalade.tumblr.com/post/12275324544/registration-day-first-day-second-day

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