How did we get here?
What was my plan as a high schooler?
1. I knew service work and working directly with people is what made me the happiest
2. Pressure to get a job allowing for financial stability
3. Interest in biology; in between STEM and humanities
Solution: Medicine
Correction, I actually like the care taking aspect of Medicine
Solution: Nursing
So you're in the explore program, what classes did you sign up for?
1. ASL because my ex told me I needed more hobbies or I would lose my mind over the summer (not a major option)
2. Psychology because I've always liked it and it's a prerequisite in most ABSN programs (major option)
3. Intro to Human Service, because HS sound like the coolest major ever (major option)
4. Goddesses, witches, saint and sinners because that sounds like the coolest class ever and like it was made for me (not a major option)
Not major options are always minor option because I love taking on the absolute most and learning is cool
Meeting with Dean Carmen
I'm fully convinced Nursing is not for me (at least right now)
One point of frustration:
- No support in applying for Nursing school
Psychology?
Proposing a combined major might be a little more than I can handle and I want to focus on HUSV but Emily inspired me to keep studying it so as for now we're doing electives and maybe a minor/concentration.
So the moment you switched out of nursing and into explore you knew you wanted to be human services and you introduced yourself as a human services major to everybody you met but are you sure?
Yes
Did I apply to NEU through the explore program?
No! I applied as and was accepted as a Nursing major but one week after accepting a place here I panicked and switched to undeclared!!!
The schedule building process
Desperately wanted to drop PSYCH 1101 (stayed in for honors credit and nursing) -> GWSS (dropped) -> Interest in exploring political science [first pages] -> Comparative Politics! (dropped before going to first class) -> Global Health! (also dropped)
Yeah thats it. It was never replaced! :)
Informational Interview!
Opened up new doors I previously shut by making me consider that I can major in a research oriented field and still get a completely practical job.
But opening up doors is dangerous because I like to many things so am I supposed to start considering psychology and sociology again? Or philosophy and religion?
No for now I'm secure in HUSV but hey, now I'm motivated to pick up a minor! Or three :)
Nursing?
Mayhaps. Problem for after college.
The more service work I do, the more I prioritize direct service in any form over going into health (which is kind of ironic given my service placement)
Ok. In every exploratory event you visited the human services table and then left... Even when you tried visiting other tables you got bored quickly and went back to human services, but are you sure
Yes
Why did you panic?
What originally gave me security in pursuing a nursing degree is how straightforward of a life path that was, with a nurse degree you become a nurse.
That security then started feeling like confinement, what if I wanted to do something else?
ABSN takes 16-18 months, BSN 4 years
Might as well get an undergraduate degree to allow for more flexibility (also I have too many interests that I wouldn't be able to explore with the rigidity of the nursing curriculum)
Overview time
Classes have been going pretty great. I like all of them and will be taking more advanced courses in their respective areas next semester.
The add drop process in the beginning of the semester was surprisingly one of the most helpful "exploratory" processes this semester.
The service?
YES!!!! I took three service learning classes because somehow while taking only three four credit classes I'm still perfectly capable of overwhelming myself!
As for the service itself (PHE), very rocky start but currently an amazing experience. Different from what I'm used to but insanely fun
Money?
Business and leadership classes for nonprofit management and project coordination positions
Benefit! Less burnout. I can do direct volunteering in my spare time.
Almost there, so, you told every advisor in the explore major that you were majoring in human services but when they asked you if you wanted to declare you said no, so this means you're not sure right?
No
So college is about to start, where are we?
I'm going to propose a combined HUSV and Psych major because how is it possible that that doesn't exist?
Reflection time!!
(The now declared major will have another moment of doubt as she must because of who she is)
The classes I want to take, the classes I most enjoy and the classes I feel are the most "ME" never align with a major I would consider.
Why? Because I focus too much on the future? On the career I want. Because I despise research but adore theoretic classes in research oriented field?
Maybe I should be taking these classes and considering a major??
So where are we now?
Majors considered:
Nursing
HUSV
HUSV + PSYCH
HUSV + POLISCI
Considering that nursing became a hard (undergraduate) no, there seems to be a common denominator...
Minors considered:
Health, humanities and society
(slowly disappearing alongside nursing)
Polisci
(on hold)
Psych
(growing stronger thanks to Emily)
Buisness????
(take some classes on social entrepreneurship and management and we'll figure it out)
Polisci? That was a weird one.
No but yes. Specialization in social policy within the Human Services major. Well I'm not that sure of what I want to do but that seems like an ideal solution so [ideally] I'll explore it through the Japan dialogue
But like are you completely and absolutely sure?
You're already declared what the point of all this? I mean i guess the title of the game exists for a reason
I'm a Human Services major :)