FS101.30 Megan Petroccia

Even after a great class discussion, I always feel as though there are questions still to be answered. Questions about all the new processes and potential experiences at college never seem to end no matter how far along we think we are. So here are a few more questions that you can think about, and always feel free to ask more!

~ How did you choose your major? What tips could you give someone who is having trouble deciding on a major?
Different life experiences especially in the classroom lead me to choose my majors. It wasn't something I planned on or even had an idea before college. Some people do know their career aspirations from the time they can talk, and that's great; however, there are so many different ideas and careers out there that you wouldn't necessary learn of in high school that making the decision early isn't necessary. College is a time to explor different options, especially in your freshman year. Take classes that sound interesting or that have a great professor. You'll learn what you like as well as what you don't like. After taking different classes you'll begin to get a sense of what area interests you, and then you'll finally be able to pick your major. So relax! It's a process, but don't forget to spend time thinking about the classes and different subject areas because only with reflection will you be able to figure it all out.

~When is it too late to change a major?
Well, I wish I could say never, but the fact is you can only stay here for four or five years, reasonably (you could stay longer but that would get expensive). It really depends on what you've already done and what you want to do. If you have some classes already in that major, it's possible you could even change it junior year. I would think, although I'm sure there are expections, that by the time you schedule for your first semester junior year, you should know your major in order to complete the requirements. Otherwise, you might not be able to finish in time and need to stay another semester.

~ Were there certain professors that helped you decide what you wanted to do with your life? Did anyone influence your decision on a major or minor or did you come up with it on your own?
Certain professors do influence your decision on what you want to do with your life. For some, they develop great relationships with their professors and talk with them all the time. For others, simply taking the class and having a great professor will influence the direction they will go with life. I'm not going to list professors because everyone has their own personalities and interests and so do the professors. You will find a professor that you connect with and think of as a role model because there are some extraordinary professors here. The only way to do that though is to be active in class and looking for opportunities. Additionally, other people can influence your decisions as well, including the staff here, intership directors, etc. Always be on the look out for something new and exciting. Allegheny is full of opportunities, and there are people to help you every step of the way if you just look for it. And don't forget about yourself. Finding a major takes some real thought. It probably won't magically appear someday nor will a professor pop out and tell you. The only person who can make that decision is you. You're going to have to spend some time reflecting to do it, but don't feel as though you need to know right away. It's going to take more than 15 minutes of thought.

~Have you taken any independent studies? What were they like?
I have done two independent studies. They are a lot of fun and a great thing to do. They give you some flexibility with your schedule and one-on-one interaction with a professor. Everyone is different and you can make one tailored to your interests. They are definitely just a great thing to do and I highly recommend them.

~What do you plan on pursuing directly after graduation? aka What do you want to be when you group up?
This question is the quinessential question to ask college kids because we're supposed to going to college to prep for a career. Well, I hate to break it to you guys, but we're at a liberal arts college. The curriculum, for the most part, is not geared to prepare you for a specific cookie-cutter job. This college gives you the skills and helps to prepare you for whatever happens afterwards. I still don't know what I want my career to be, and I don't think I will know until I'm actually doing it. I do know my experiences here will help me with finding that, whatever it is. I do plan on continuing my education but maybe not traditionally. Maybe I'm just going to do research. Maybe I'm going to get offered an amazing job that I'm going to be happy with forever. I don't know. Most students here don't know either, and that's ok no matter how much your uncle wants to know what your job title is going to be. What you do after graduation will happen. You don't have to know exactly what it is. What you should be doing instead is consistently looking for opportunities and being ambitious.

Fun Little Story:

My family went to drop my sister (a freshman also) off at Villanova at the beginning of this year. The Dean was giving a presentation and asked the parents, how many of you have a bachelors? Almost everyone raise their hand. How many of you have masters or a high degree? Some hands still in the air. How many of you could tell me what (so-and-so) was known for? No one raised their hand. Sounds like a silly story, something your mom would tell you (obviously my mom told me this), but honestly, the minor details aren't going to matter. I'm not saying to don't study, but make sure you're looking at the bigger picture. Your major isn't going to define the rest of your life. It's just a major.

The story of Chris McCandless, no matter what your opinion of him, has captured the attention of America twice- once in the book and now with the new movie. Although, I do not believe these productions were the intentions of Chris. I wouldn't think he would want his story to turn into a great debate of society.

While everyone is entitled to their opinion about the adventure of Alex, I find it as the real life version of all those English books about maturing from youth to adulthood. Especially for those of us attending college, I feel that we are faced with the same sort of questions about life and need to find purpose in life as Chris did with his.

Life in general is a hard thing grasp. For whatever reason, although an infinite amount of years passed before us, we currently have consciousness during this period of history. In a few short decades, our existence will be gone, only to be replaced by a new set of lives. Which leads everyone at some point or another to wonder what is the purpose of his or her life.

This is exactly what Chris McCandless did. He wanted to give meaning to his life. To understand it to the best of his abilities. The huge difference between Chris and most of the rest of college aged students is that he actually thought about life outside of school work and the constraints of society.

His conclusion to go into the wild is not a story that hasn't been tried thousands of times before; however, in this day and age, multimedia has gotten the better of this particular adventure, allowing people to form their own opinions about Chris's choice, even though they had never known him personally. While these people focus on whether what Chris did was right or wrong, I feel as though they are missing something far more valuable.

These people should instead turn the story around- taking the hopes, dreams and especially questions of Chris to heart and apply them to their own lives. We, as individuals of about his age, need to especially take his questions into consideration. While it is easy to be stuck in the cogs of society and completely focused on your next major writing assignment or exam, it is even more important to take some time to question life and try to determine your goals in life and find a sense of meaning, whatever it may be.

Chris went out into the wild and found his answers. Shouldn't we at least take the time to think about ours?

THE ART SHOW AT THE HAMPTONS

This week's program of Sunday morning had a great mix of current events from different angles and, of course, stories about everyday America. One of my personal favorites was the art show at the Hamptons. While it seems only natural that this place would host an art show in my mind, the segment focused on how unusual it was to do so where the rich party. Well, in my opinion, this scene is perfect for supporting art in the sense that this is where the money is. These people are here on vacation, to have a little bit more fun. So when you have ridiculous amounts of money, a beach house and have that "I can buy crazy things cause I'm on vacation" sort of feeling, what would be more fitting than buying art work? It's sophisticated, interesting and expensive- the ideal thing to buy when you're rich and on vacation. And all this spending goes back to the artists so that they can produce more artwork making the Hamptons a perfect place to host an art show.

As all of you have hopefully realized, you have a three to four page paper due next Tuesday. I would just like to remind/ send the invitation that peer leaders or the learning commons can help you proof read your paper. We will not write or rewrite it for you but are definitely willing to help out and give you pointers. Just send us an email or contact us any way you want if you're interested. If you want the learning commons to take a look at your paper just drop by (third floor of the library) or talk to Natalie, and she'll tell you how to make an appointment (normally you can do it online but its not working right now for some reason... go figure). But here's their website if you want to look at hours http://learningcommons.allegheny.edu/. Good luck with your papers and have a fun weekend!!!

Positive Psychology: A Picnic. The picnic segment was a wonderful example of positive psychology at work and of Charles Kuralt’s beliefs, two key points from this week’s episode. Thanks to Professor Knupsky, I think a picnic was the perfect way to start off the class. I really like the idea of using a little bit of positive psychology to help improve classroom dynamic and increase participation. I’d be curious to see what other specific ideas/ activities (besides food) people came up with for applying positive psychology to the classroom, especially since I’m about to start teaching an after-school elementary program in a few weeks. Being an optimistic person myself, I really enjoy the idea of positive psychology improving behavior.

PS Great job everyone with participation this week! I know as the semester goes on, discussions will keep getting better and better. So keep up the good work!!