What Am I Studying?

Hey guys!! I figured it would be fun to do a blog post talking a little bit about my major and minors, and why I chose to study what I did. I have been extremely lucky to know right from the beginning the things that I am passionate about and want to pursue, but I know most people don't know for a long time what they want to study in college.

Some of my best friends are still undecided, and that's completely okay! If you don't know exactly what you want to pursue, I suggest taking lots of classes that sound interesting to you, or spreading your studies over a wide area. This way, no matter what you choose to study in the end, you have a well-rounded background. Lots of classes will carry over from major to major, but some won't. 

For example, I have taken a lot of EPS (Earth and Planetary Sciences) and GECS (Global Environmental Change and Sustainability) classes in the last year, but unfortunately these classes wouldn't really count for many other majors. However, I have taken things like Social Psychology, Introductory Chemistry I, and Expository Writing, which are good base classes no matter what subject you end up studying long term.

Now, onto my areas of study:

Major: Global Environmental Change and Sustainability 

Concentration: Social Science

After taking AP Environmental Science, I developed a serious love for environmental science. At first it was a big joke among my friends that I loved the class so much, but one day it dawned on me that this was something I could seriously consider studying. Luckily, with a little bit of searching on the JHU website, I realized that the Global Environmental Change and Sustainability major was exactly what I needed. I love the idea of reworking products to meet sustainability needs, since I don't believe that humans will be as much of a help with reducing climate change. Ideally I would love to study abroad in Bermuda looking at the water filtration system, and seeing how we can implement this in other areas of the world. I also think that developing products of sustainable quality is super interesting, and starting a business for this would be awesome!

White roofs in Bermuda actually filter water on their own!

Minor: Entrepreneurship and Management 

Concentration: Leadership and Organizational Behavior

This brings me to my minor, Entrepreneurship and Management. Hopkins doesn't offer a business major; there is only the graduate program at the Carey Business School. I find that business can be a valuable asset to have no matter what else you want to study, and since I hope to look into starting a sustainable business, this was perfect for me. This way, I could focus my studies on sustainability, but I would have the business background I need to work for/create a sustainable company. I actually took my first business class this semester and I loved it! The professor is one of my favorites, and I can't wait to take my next business class with him next semester.

Minor: Spanish

Concentration: Spanish Language and Hispanic Culture

Another one of my big passions in high school was Spanish. I started taking Spanish classes in third grade and am basically fluent in the language. I have used Spanish many times while traveling and think that the culture is super interesting. I also was a member of the Spanish Honor Society in high school and became President during my senior year, which I am very proud of. Our advisor was absent a lot, which meant that I had a lot more responsibility than past presidents. It was a rewarding, but certainly challenging, experience. I decided to pursue Spanish in college because I had really never been without it. I took placement exams over the summer and was placed in Advanced I, which I then followed with Advanced II this spring. I had thought about studying Spanish as a major before, but in reality didn't think it was something I could make a career out of. When I needed a class that would fit into my schedule for next fall, one of the classes that worked was Modern Spanish Culture. I thought about it and upon doing my research, I found out that by taking this culture class, I am already halfway done with the requirements I need for this minor! Since I love Spanish and it has been part of my life for so long, it would feel strange to me to not be involved with it at least a little bit in college. I'm so glad I decided to minor in Spanish; I love it!

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Best of luck to everyone going through the college application process or deciding what you want to major in! It can be daunting at times, but in the end you will end up making the right choice. And it's super easy to switch if you need!!