Orientation, Day Four: the Wonderful World of Scheduling

Disclaimer: this post involves far less humor and far more commentary than is regularly to be expected.

Okay, just for the heck of it, let's try a thought experiment:

Imagine you were to ask a young man or woman what their plans for the rest of their lives would be. Odds are, save for a spare few, you would receive a very convoluted answer.

And that's natural; this is America, dammit. In Europe, kids my ages are expected to begin a 'track' starting around the age of fifteen or sixteen. They take specific courses relevant to their career path. No fluff courses and electives. Makes sense in many regards.

I can't help but weep every time I see a bald eagle in the
foreground of an American flag.

But we American teenagers are not responsible for knowing what the rest of their lives hold. We are allowed to ease into that decision by engaging in collaborative activities like sports and knitting. We get to discover what we're passionate about, not just what we're good at.

I'm echoing what Michael S. Roth, Wesleyan's president, said in his address to parents during Orientation, Day One. The purpose of a liberal arts school, and to a larger extent American schools in general, is to let students experience a wide breadth of academic courses and activities. This allows them to uncover and embrace those unbelievably dormant passions and truly pursue what they love.

Whether or not you believe that a college education is worth the $50,000+ it costs every year (let's not mention the fact that Wesleyan is one of the most expensive universities in the good ol' US) is beside the point here. What's undeniable is that college offers students a unique opportunity to experiment (with what, let your imagination wander) and 'find' themselves.

Digression over. Back to the topic:

You would not expect the "oh, I don't know" answer from me, however. I have it all planned out. Or so I think....

Edgar Rice Burroughs:

"We are, all of us, creatures of habit."

I absolutely thrive on routines and schedules and to-do lists. The large amount of freedom one gains on a college campus is at great odds with what I consider to be normal. And perhaps that's the point. One is the most vulnerable where one feels the more safe. All part of the necessity to step outside of one's comfort zone.

Nevertheless, I always have to have a plan for what happens next. In fact, I have the next ten years all typed out.

And then, on March 10th, 2018, I will eat quinoa and black beans before
finishing my soon-to-be-bestselling memoirs.

But then, as John Lennon reminds me, "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans."

Over the past few years, what I want to concentrate on has changed from political science to psychology to international relations (only because JFK had a degree in it) to economics to environmental science.

And now, just over the past few days I've gone back and forth again. I don't even have to decide for another year or so. Whatever.

At first, I thought I wanted to study economics with a linked major to the College of the Environment. Only today, just after scheduling has finished, do I realize that doing so would result in a BA in environmental studies, not a BS in environmental science. Come on now, Ayres.

Imagine several f-bombs and squiggly lines in a thought bubble above my head:

Thus, I'm doing damage control now. I'll probably drop Chinese, which is ridiculously hard anyway, in favor of taking physics (a requirement for the ES major) and an international relations class instead. Also, news flash, I hope to certificate in IR as well.

Let's not go into textbooks, note-taking software, or waking up for an 8 AM class on Friday. Let's instead focus on the hour of free yoga I get to do tomorrow morning.

Namaste.