Once you have a major in mind, one of the most important things you do is plan out the classes you will take. You look at when the classes you need are offered and make the infamous four-year plan with your advisor. Speaking from experience, it can be hard to change your plan once it’s set into this plan. When people are comfortable with something, it’s rather hard to take a risk if you’re not completely sure it will pay off. In the same vein, people might not see the point in taking a class outside their major, as they do not see how it will help them in the long run.
When I was an English major my freshman year, I never thought about taking anything other than the required classes for the major, and the cornerstone classes I needed to graduate. Although I would have had plenty of room for electives, I made it my plan to just take extra English classes to supplement the classes I needed to take.
As luck would have it, the topic of my first-year seminar was theater, something I always considered to be a hobby. It was something I loved that I pursued outside of my academic life, and at the time it was nothing more than that. From that class, and from working as a work study student for the department, I found myself signing up for the acting class my sophomore year. Slowly but surely, I became more and more interested in what the department had to offer. I told myself I wouldn’t take any more classes, but I couldn’t help but look at the listing every time I edited a playbill.
Later that year, I finally made the decision to drop my major and find something else to pursue. Having only two years left, I was worried about being able to finish a new major within the time frame. Looking over what I saw available to me, I realized that I already had the same amount of credits for my current major as I did if I switched to Arts Administration.
Looking back, I realize that the small decision to take an acting class is the best decision I have made regarding my education. Had I not ventured from my original plan, I would not have had the same chance to have the experiences I’ve had in my new major, as I would have been rushing to catch up. Not only have I learned how to practically apply knowledge to something I enjoy, but I’ve been able to take it and intern at an Off Broadway theater, and make connections that will help me secure a job in the future.
When people ask me what advice I would give first-year students, I always tell them to take a chance on an elective they would enjoy, rather than one in the same field they are majoring in. Whether or not it influences your desired path, taking a class outside of what you're studying can change up a normal routine and a stress reliever.
