Anybody at Wingate knows of the infamous "Science Major versus Music Major" battle. Who has it worse? Who has the harder major? Who is more tired? Who has more credit hours? Who has to work harder? It's a constant tug-of-war of "who's horse is bigger?".
I am a Music Education major, and one of my best-friends - my roommate Sabryna - is a Science major. "OH NO HOW DO YOU FUNCTION TOGETHER?" Easily. We realize that we're both extremely busy and stressed out all the time with our majors. We both have big personalities, but somehow we co-exist. How? Here's a list of things that could be potential problems, but aren't.
1. Credit Hours v. Classes
Ashley - So as a Music major (this particular semester), I have 13 classes that total to 21 credit hours. A lot of these classes are music related and often times don't require a lot of studying. While I do have to spend time practicing, it typically only takes me about 1 hour a day. I have 5 classes that have homework, and often that homework isn't extremely labor intensive. On average, I spend about 2 hours every day between homework and practicing and my grades are pretty good.
Sabryna- So as a Science major with a Science minor, I have 6 classes and 18 credit hours. 6 of my hours a week are spent in a lab, and I spend at least 2 hours every day doing homework that most of the time I don't understand.
Coexisting - Even though Sabryna has less classes, she has more intensive work while Ashley has less intensive classes. Because they're both so exhausted, their mornings often look like un-brushed hair, pajamas from 3 nights ago, stumbling for coffee, and conversing via grunting. Even though the numbers look different, the workload kills our souls the same.
2. "That's it. I'm changing my major."
Ashley - With so many classes, life can get overwhelming. I get easily frustrated with myself, my peers, and my professors. There are some days when I'll go back to my apartment, slam the door, and scream "That's it! I'm changing my major!". There's been many a day where my face has a scowl plastered to it that may or may not be broken with a giggle or a fake smile.
Sabryna- Most of the time I actually have no clue what is going in any of my classes. It's extremely frustrating and 4 out 5 days I walk into my apartment, grunt, slam the door, and proclaim to everyone that I've had enough and I'm changing my major.
Coexisting - Some days, Sabryna and Ashley sit on the couches in the living room and talk over each other about all their frustrations. Often times, there is screaming and lots of "Oh my God, right?!". Usually, this ends in laughing, crying, and lots of hugging. In the end, they both realize that they're both falling apart together.
3. Food
Ashley - What is time? Usually I'm in classes or in a practice room. Eating is an afterthought, unfortunately. It's a good day if I can find time to have a snack, let alone an entire meal.
Sabryna- My day usually consists of grabbing a candy bar and coffee, and saying a prayer that my stomach won't growl over the professor. Normally by the time I remember to eat, I have severe acid re-flux making me sick.
Coexisting - Whenever Ashley and Sabryna come in contact with each other in the middle of the day, it's a back and forth of "Have you eaten?" "No, have you?" "No. Do you want to eat?" "No time, I have a class." "Same, fam." Then they share a stomach growl and continue with their days. At night, sometimes they take a break to get some Klondike or, if they're both ahead of homework (a rarity only spoken of in legends), they'll cook some food.
4. Studying
Ashley - My study habits look like a stack of at least 7 books, my laptop, and paper everywhere. There's also folders full of music and recordings playing endlessly. I know it's irritating, but that's just the life of a Music major. Usually study parties in the living room are the way my nights end.
Sabryna- My study habits look like trying to read a text book while listening to a lecture, crying, and doing chemistry calculations. Not to mention freaking out about how to study for a lab practical...What even is that? I'm just trying to fake it until I make it.
Coexisting - The study parties in the living room are Ashley on one couch and Sabryna on the other. All of their stuff takes up an entire couch. That's what they get for having such busy majors. They'll bounce ideas off of each other even though in reality they have no idea what the other one is talking about. They cry together and try like hell to get through as best as they can.
Even though we're both insanely busy in our own ways, we still connect. We are able to coexist. In the end, there is no competition because we realize that both of us are completely deteriorating under the stress and pressure of our majors. Who has it worse? Who has the harder major? Who is more tired? Who has more credit hours? Who has to work harder? The answer is neither. We're both just getting through this crazy adventure called college and supporting each other every step of the way.
