Majoring in Political Science is an interesting choice. Political Science is a mixture of a bunch of other disciplines, such as sociology, economics, and history. You can do many different things with a Political Science major, like be a journalist, work for the government, or travel the world. Here is a list of attributes and happenings that all political scientists experience.
1. All you do is read books/articles and write papers
Yep, unless you are taking American Government 101, there are usually no multiple choice tests when taking political science classes. Which means you have to be able to write 10+ page research papers about political theories, public policy, and political history.
2. You have that one favorite professor that inspired you to join the major
When I began my college career, I did not declare a major. So I signed up for a beginners political science course, taught by a woman who would become my favorite professor. The way she talked about the subject made it interesting, and I really got into politics. The next semester I declared a Political Science major.
3. Everyone assumes you want to be a politician when you graduate
Like I said before, there are countless things you can do with a Political Science degree. However, the one thing that comes to everyone's mind is politics, naturally. Most people are not too fond of government and American politics, so you usually get a prune-faced response when you tell people what your major is.
4. It is super annoying when people who are not Political Science majors think they know everything about government and politics
Yeah, because I went to school for four years to hear others denounce my opinions. Actually they are not even opinions, they are facts about the political system that I literally have gotten from PhDs and credible, academic resources. Not Facebook articles or opinions that I have generated from my upbringing.
5. Your friends and family are hoping that you did not pick a "useless" major
A common thing I hear when I tell people about my major is, "Why didn't you just get an Economics degree?" or "Hopefully you can find a job when you graduate..." Do not let these comments discourage you. It is all about what you make of your college experience, and anyone can be successful if they put their all into what they are pursuing.
6. The hard sciences think political science is super easy
People think it is funny that "Political Science" has the word "science" in it at all. Hard science majors, like physics, engineering, and chemistry, laugh at how "easy" Political Science is because all they see is the fact that we do not use calculus or know organic chem. However, what they do not see is the tireless days and nights of memorizing historical happenings and political theories (which can get very complicated). They do not see the 20+ page papers we write towards the end of our college careers. They do not see the impact that political scientists have on everyone's everyday lives.
There are definitely hardships when it comes to majoring in political science, however, I would not change my major for the world. I found my perfect fit, and despite people's negative comments, I know that Political Science is very important.