Since I arrived at Dartmouth, I have been asked the question, "What is your major?" more times than I care to remember. This comes from upper and underclassmen alike. It comes from people who have wanted to be a doctor since fifth grade, and it comes from those who were born into the legal profession.
My response is almost always, "I have no idea." I figure that this is the safest way to approach my collegiate career. The breadth of study in high school was, to say the least, limited. I really don't have any idea what my options are, and I have yet to delve into my course book. At this point, requirements are more of a priority than personal wishes, so my stock answer will serve me very well for now.
This vague response to the major question is usually met with some sort of confirmation that this is a good way to approach my academics.
I'll be told, "That's the best way to start out."
Or there's the occasional, "Yeah, I'm a '97, and I still don't know where I'm going."
Sometimes I'll get the comforting, "Well, I'm sure you'll find your niche."
Of course there are variations on the major question.
One broad version is, "What are you interested in?"
From the goal-oriented, I sometimes get the, "What do you want to pursue?" This is an odd one. This question seems to imply that my education is some sort of hunt or chase. What an odd concept. This view of education seems destructive to those who take it. For some, a particular course is like a wild beast, and if you chase or hunt it, you will be killed. I don't recommend hunting for your field of study.
Above all, my favorite question is, "What's your calling?"
This seems like such an odd thing to ask. You see, I have no idea what my calling is, but that doesn't worry me, because I don't have to find my calling, my calling will find me. That's why it is referred to as a "calling." It calls to you. I am pretty secure in the fact that eventually my calling will find me, though it is possible that I will get no call. Maybe I will have to wander through life with no direction, always waiting for the call.
Fortunately I have a solution to that little problem prepared: Grad School!
You see, that is the beauty of school. One of its main purposes is to provide a refuge for the directionless in which they can explore different fields and receive that call. So if I don't receive that call during these next four years, I can always be reached at the next level of education.
That solution is better than forcing a calling that isn't there. The field of study that is best for you will call. If you call on a particular field, there are almost always ulterior motives involved. Some people are looking ahead to a career, and think that one field will be more useful than another. By pursuing a major that they either don't like or aren't good at, they are inviting disaster.
The best way to receive your calling is to take the courses that interest you. You will do better and get more enjoyment in the courses that you like. Don't worry about finding a major, because whatever your calling is, fear not, it will call to you. Whenever anyone asks you what your major is, you can reply, "It hasn't told me yet."
