Coping with focus—what your major means

The Yale College Programs of Study, better known by students as the "Blue Book," will arrive in your mailbox in a few weeks. Maybe you'll toss it aside, or maybe you'll sit down immediately and mull over what you want to take during your first semester as a Yalie. Hopefully, though, you won't obsess too much over the prospect of choosing a major.

INFORMATION COURTESY OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH

Seventy-six majors are currently offered at Yale College, and new majors are added each year. Students are asked to declare their major by the end of their sophomore year, but there is the opportunity to switch majors after this time, as long as it is feasible to complete all the requirements by graduation. Sometimes, for some of the more intensive majors, students are strongly encouraged to declare their major by the end of their first year.

Majors vary a great deal in terms of the number of courses required, the number of prerequisite courses needed, and the freedom given to students to choose courses. For example, if you think chemical engineering might be the major for you, you should start working on the requirements right away. This is by far Yale's most demanding major in terms of the number of courses needed. There are 20 term courses required on top of nine semester-long prerequisite classes. If this doesn't sound difficult enough, 16 of the 20 courses for the major are required, leaving students with the chance to choose only four electives.

You are not alone if the requirements for the chemical engineering major leave you feeling intimidated or depressed. Only two students in the Class of 1999 majored in this subject, and there are plenty of other possibilities with much more reasonable requirements. History was the most popular major for the class of 1999, with 204 students enrolled. At least compared to chemical engineering, its requirements seem like a breeze: students must take only 12 term courses in such varied categories such as American history, European history, African, Asian, and Latin American history, and Middle Eastern history.

Another requirement for most majors is the senior essay, an independent study project that allows students a chance to finish their studies at Yale by focusing on a specific topic within their major. Students work closely with a faculty advisor and spend either one or two semesters completing their research and essay. Science majors often do research in lieu of a senior essay, but all Yale graduates complete a substantial senior project of some sort.

Certain majors develop stereotypes among Yalies in terms of their supposed levels of difficulty as well as the types of people they attract. Economics, with its requirement of only nine term courses beyond prerequisites, is often referred to as one of Yale's easier majors. The class of 1999 did have 173 economics majors, which may lend credence to this generalization. Prospective economics majors should beware, however, of the required term of econometrics, a difficult course that is often the bane of an econ major's existence.

Some majors in the sciences have developed a particularly strong reputation for attracting especially uptight and future-oriented students. Jessica Droller, BR '99, was a molecular, cellular, and developmental biology (MCDB) major. "There are a lot of competitive pre-meds determined to get A's, so the courses can be quite competitive," Droller said.

Molecular biophysics and biochemistry (MB&B) is also very attractive to pre-medical students because many of the courses required for the major are also mandatory pre-med courses. Lee Hoang, CC '99, an MB&B major, said, "The bad draw is that people put so much pressure on themselves, forcing lazy people like me to feel stressed. Everybody works hard, so the curve is not always too kind."

But not all majors in the sciences have such a competitive reputation. Avery Patton, DC '00, is a geology and geophysics major. "I think the people are the most laid-back of all of the science majors," she said. "There is absolutely no competition for grades whatsoever. Everyone will help anyone else with labs and problem sets if they have questions." An added perk of the geology and geophysics department is that tea and cookies are served every afternoon at three o'clock for all faculty and students in the major.

Every major has its strengths and weaknesses, and freshman year is meant to be spent figuring them out. Adopt trial and error as a philosophy: enroll in a diverse group of classes, balancing interesting classes you want to take with less-interesting classes you might be required to take. Whatever you do, calm down and try not to think too much about majors yet. You have plenty of time.

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