College!

[Mr Spinkles]

I went to orientation a few days ago and signed up for classes. I signed up for french 203 (Americans CAN learn other languages, and I will prove it!), english, math, a physics lecture course on space, time, and astronomy, along with a physics lab, and "educational learning 100" which is a course designed to help undecided majors figure out what they want to do.

Perhaps some of you felt the same way when you went to college...there are so many interesting courses, I wish I could take them all. I have a wide range of interests--science, politics, philosophy, history, writing, and cartooning. I do not know what to major in, and I am a little anxious--what if I never find one, specific thing that I love that I want to do for the rest of my life? The only thing I know right now about my future career is that I want to avoid business at all costs, and I don't care about money--and I want to make a difference.

Please share your memories of college or any advice you may have for me! :goodjob:

 

[Alaric]

Exciting time, eh? 8)
The important thing is that you do what you are interested in - don't decide to do something semi-interesting because you think it'll be more 'useful', because then you'll just lose motivation and the whole thing will be a chore. Other than that, try to do some good research into the subjects before you decide. Go through the subjects offered, browse the course books in the shops or library, and talk to people studying a course already (although this isn't very reliable - people have very different interpretations of the same thing).

I started with economics, but it was so theoretical and so full of formulas it was like studying greek (literally - the formulas are all full of greek letters!) so I eventually gave up trying and started International Business instead, which is great. Would have loved to study philosophy, but I can do that in my spare time, and IB is in English - I hated doing economics in Danish, since it's not my mother tongue.

And I would suggest that you forget learning a new language at this point unless you have the chance to actually speak it constantly for some periods while you're learning. Study in the classrooms all you want, but when you're finished, it'll take about two years for you to forget everything.

 

[Rex]

I am just finishing up college, and let me tell you, that you have many fun times to come.

I took lots of philosophy classes and just loved them, I'm not much of a History Buff, but I do love to learn some history.

Stay away from Math and English just because I hate those 2. But phsch, soci, phil, are all fun!!

Congrats.

 

[Lightkeeper]

Are there any appitutde tests that can be taken? Usually we are most interested in what we are good at. In Russia, they used to test kids in elementary school and according to the results, the kids were led in that direction. It sounds like you are going at it in the correct way. Take many courses and test the waters. Your interests may change as you grow older.

 

[anders]

Alaric's first paragraph cannot be improved. Study subjects that you like, because you will learn more in those. There is no way of knowing even what professions there will be when you graduate. In my second university year, I got a feeling that the new machines called computers might become useful in the future. But there were no available courses on the subject of computers, so I went on with chemistry (and had a good time). Now I work as a technical translator, but what I feel most important for my present situation were the very basic technology courses, teaching an understanding of scientific principles.

French is hard to learn if you don't speak it regularily - at least if you want to be a fluent speaker. My spoken French is slow and awkward (I had three years of French as a third foreign language in what you probably would call senior high), but I translate professionally all kinds of technical texts. I think this is another proof that you can't tell which knowledge you will be using in what way. But do learn languages, and don't forget to read about the countries where they are spoken, their culture, religion, literature...! I think that language study makes your mind more flexible and tolerant as you understand more of other cultures and other peoples' ways of thinking and expressing themselves.

 

[Mr Spinkles]

Oh my gosh, I think I've figured it out! All the stuff I listed above, I really enjoy, but I think I have realized that my passion, the thing I truly love is this: making people laugh. I know it probably sounds silly, but the more I think about it the more I realize that that's what I love to do.

What should I major in for that--creative writing, or film, or something? I know the guys in Monty Python majored in various things at Cambridge from accounting to history. I am really excited now--this is definitely my passion, I think. Maybe I could be a writer for a show like The Simpsons (do I dare dream such lofty dreams?)

But what courses would compliment such aspirations?

 

[anders]

In Sweden, there are courses on Creative Writing. And if your sense of humour is twisted enough, you will get a lot of inspiration from Religious studies (or whatever such subjects are named in your country.) And I don't mean just Taoism and Zen Buddhism. But you will have realised that already on this forum.

 

[Lightkeeper]

Oh my gosh, I think I've figured it out! All the stuff I listed above, I really enjoy, but I think I have realized that my passion, the thing I truly love is this: making people laugh. I know it probably sounds silly, but the more I think about it the more I realize that that's what I love to do.

What should I major in for that--creative writing, or film, or something? I know the guys in Monty Python majored in various things at Cambridge from accounting to history. I am really excited now--this is definitely my passion, I think. Maybe I could be a writer for a show like The Simpsons (do I dare dream such lofty dreams?)

But what courses would compliment such aspirations?

Speech could be a way to express your humor. Most colleges have media classes.

 

[Mr Spinkles]

In Sweden, there are courses on Creative Writing. And if your sense of humour is twisted enough, you will get a lot of inspiration from Religious studies (or whatever such subjects are named in your country.) And I don't mean just Taoism and Zen Buddhism. But you will have realised that already on this forum.

I am utterly convinced that there is nothing funnier than religion. That's part of the reason I'm here.

"Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!!"

"Lord, we've found a witch, may we burn her?"

"Then lobbest-thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it."

"I am not the Messiah!" "Yes you are Lord, and I should know, I've followed a few! Only the true Messiah would deny his own Divinity!" "Alright then I AM the Messiah..." "He's the Messiah! He's the Messiah!"
:lol: :lol: :lol:
~all from Monty Python