Major Declaration at Dartmouth College
Hello! The weather has begun to warm up a little, and the sun is staying out a little longer, signaling the coming end of winter term.
And with the end of my fifth term at Dartmouth also comes a conversation with myself: what do I major in?
This question was present when applying to college, but it didn't matter that much then—after all, so many students change their major once getting into college! Choosing an intended major was a mere exercise in thinking about what I may be interested in studying, especially since I was aiming for schools allowing changes in majors post-enrollment.
Dartmouth allows students to declare their major during and after their fifth term; as a result, my winter term has been marked with the eternal question of what I major in!
I began my time at Dartmouth thinking about being a sociology major while taking pre-medical courses; I had an interest in the societal dynamics of people and interactions throughout high school, and although I had never taken a sociology class, I felt that I would enjoy the discipline. However, when choosing my first-year fall classes, I decided to take a biology class to determine whether I was "cut out" for the pre-medical path at Dartmouth and to gauge my interest in the sciences. Luckily, my interest was indeed piqued! I began gravitating more toward the natural sciences in my extracurriculars and classes. After joining a chemistry research lab in my first winter term through WISP, I was able to gain more exposure to scientific research. I had room to explore my interests and beyond, as my classes in my first year consisted of my writing requirement, language requirement, and a pre-medical introductory science course. As a result, by the time I ended my first year, I felt that majoring in the sciences would be the best choice for me after all. I really enjoyed the problem-solving aspect of the work done in the classes, and it was fascinating to learn more about the world around me.
But which science? I wanted to do a combination of biology and chemistry, but in what fashion? A biology major with a focus on chemistry? A chemistry major with a focus on biology? The decision feels a little arbitrary, but I wanted to make sure I was making a choice I felt confident in. To help guide my decision, I was able to speak with professors from both departments to weigh the pros and cons of each department. Ultimately, I want to learn more about the mechanistic foundations of molecules, and the biological chemistry major offers more courses delving into that aspect of biochemistry. Therefore, I've recently declared my major as biological chemistry! That being said, my decision isn't set completely in stone; students can still change their major after declaring it. However, by declaring my major, I can let myself aim more strongly towards a specific goal. I'm glad that I had an open mind throughout my first year to determine where my academic interests lay—my academic journey, of course, doesn't end here! Let's see where it goes next.