Friday, October 22, 2010

Choose a Major Day

I spent several hours at our campus choose a major day event. I talked to a lot of students.

The idea is that you're supposed to tell students about the wonders of the major you represent. In my case, that's English.

I do a lousy job. Oh, I can tell students about our English major, but then I always want to talk about how they can learn the skills they'll need in all sorts of majors.

So I don't know that I sell the English major well.

Maybe it's because I wasn't an English major?

I'm tired of talking. I don't want to talk to anyone about their major for a bit. I don't actually want to talk to anyone about school stuff for a bit.

But, I'm going bowling with some of my students this evening. I hope I don't bowl too miserably. I hope none of them wants to talk about becoming an English major.

2 comments:

  1. bowling! that's so cool. they will love you, especially if you bowl poorly.

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  2. What was your major? Just curious. I was a music major in my undergrad, and I got so burned out that I didn't play any instruments for almost ten years. Isn't that ridiculous? I've recently picked up guitar and clarinet again, and I love it. But what I learned as a music major (aside from music theory and the discipline required to practice) was that one should not major in a hobby.

    There might be an argument for not majoring in English if one should not major in a hobby. (Reading being the hobby.) However, I would argue that being an English major helps you learn to argue, helps you learn to write, and gives you a broad world view. I wish I'd been an English major. But then again, I never would have learned how to play guitar if I had. That's what I got for my 50K in student loan debt for my undergrad degree. That, and discipline. Sigh.

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