As I stood in line at The Hub last week waiting to submit a request to change my major, I reflected on the last four years of my education at Bob Jones University. Little did I know when I arrived on campus as a freshman that this line would hold a warm spot in my heart.
It all began when I met Indie Cysive, a friendly fifth semester senior, while waiting to talk to Financial Aid about getting my school bill waived.
“What are you in line for?” I asked Cysive.
“I’m changing my major,” she said with a smile.
She proceeded to tell me that she had changed her major 13 times over her years at the University and never regretted it once. Cysive’s joy over the matter struck me and made me think.
Bob Jones identifies as a liberal arts university and encourages us as students to try new things, to grow and to step outside of our comfort zone. After all, why do we have Artist Series? Why is Essential Science a required class? Why are we introducing engagement EXPs as requirements for graduation (see page five)?
Additionally, studies show that the majority of students don’t use their degree after they graduate. But those studies neglect to mention that most students graduate with only one degree.
Why do we devote ourselves to just one field of study at college? Why only study French when we can study Spanish and German and Chinese too? Why only study languages when we can become experts in health sciences or in physics or business?
By sticking to one major, we limit ourselves and our chances to succeed after college.
Two days after meeting Cysive, I stood in line at The Hub and submitted a request to change my major from English to physics. The next Monday I switched to math education, and one week after that I changed my major to piano pedagogy with an aviation minor. I have continued this habit of changing my major weekly for four years and have never regretted it once.
This habit has truly revolutionized my life and I have experienced a new level of freedom, joy and well-roundedness through it. Not only that, but I am confident that I will get a job using one of my 128 fields of study by the time I graduate.
