WHILE SOME students feel perfectly content with their choice of major, many question their field of study when they discover that the courses differ from their initial expectations, or regret not having chosen a more in-demand and high-paying major. The Yonsei Annals interviewed Yonseians about their experiences with their studies, degree of satisfaction with their majors, as well as personal opinions on the school system regarding major declarations and mandatory general electives.

Song Ji-young (Fresh., Dept. of Pharmacy)

   During my high school years, I wanted to apply to Medicine—not because I aspired to become a doctor, but because I wanted to demonstrate my self-worth by pursuing one of the most competitive majors available. However, looking back at my college experiences so far, I can say that I am satisfied with my current major. I believe that the specialized knowledge I gained from pharmacy school is applicable to various fields including bioengineering, chemistry, and even business. I also believe that my major provides me with diverse career opportunities in the future, as I could work in hospitals, retail pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies, or health-related governmental institutions.

   Regarding general electives, I have a positive view of Yonsei’s elective system. While others may see it as forcing students to take classes from different or unrelated categories, I believe it allows students to widen their perspective before diving into one specialized field. Without the general elective course requirement, for example, I would have only chosen classes within the scope of my interest.

Jin Min-ji (Soph., Dept. of Biochemistry)

   When I was a kid, I dreamed of being a math teacher. However, as I studied different subjects throughout high school, I gradually realized that my passion lay in the field of science. I am satisfied with my decision to study Biochemistry, as biological and medical research is becoming increasingly important in today’s society. However, if I was given the chance to select a different major, I would choose Business or Computer Science. This is because many scientists are developing new medicinal products and growing startups that tackle cancer and autoimmune diseases, where it is now more crucial than ever to understand the markets for pharmaceuticals and foods. Likewise, many research labs require data collection and analysis skills, making knowledge of computer science valuable. Thus, I am currently considering double majoring in one of those majors.

   Undergraduate students within the science department are required to take major-specific elective courses such as Calculus and Vector Analysis, General Chemistry, and General Biology in their first year. Even though they are more “introductory” compared to the classes we take in the second year, these courses still provide rough guidance on whether we want to continue or change our major. Additionally, I believe that general electives are important as they form the basic knowledge required to take advanced courses in later years.

Koh Woo-sung (Jr., Dept. of Economics and Dept. of Computer Science)

   When I was younger, my dream was to become an aeronautical engineer. However, I applied to both the Economics and Business programs as I performed best in those subjects in high school; additionally, my extracurricular activities revolved around these disciplines. After my admittance to Yonsei as an Economics major, I applied to Computer Science as a double major. I find my choices of both majors, as well as my minor in Business, adequate. However, if I could go back in time, I would have chosen either Statistics or Computer Science as my primary major, as my interests have shifted to these disciplines during my time in college. Although I have enjoyed all my economic courses, they were much more qualitative than I had hoped. Because I plan on shaping my career in a quantitative field, I have put in extra effort to keep up with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields besides studying for my Economics major.

   As a part of my required electives, I took various engineering courses early on in my undergraduate program. These classes helped shape my interest in mathematical subjects and made me feel confident in my ability to take Computer Science courses.

Sung Ye-won (Soph., UIC, Economics)

   I had never been sure about what I wanted to be or what I wanted to study even after applying for college. Therefore, my first year in the Underwood Division without a declared major was a great opportunity to explore my academic interests. During this period, I was able to take introductory courses in different fields and discover an area of study I truly wanted to pursue for the rest of my college years.

   After my first year, I had quite a hard time deciding between International Studies and Economics. I had always been into solving real-life problems and global affairs, so both majors were equally appealing in that they suggested new perspectives and insightful tools to view the tangible world. I ultimately decided to declare my major in Economics mainly because I thought it would be better for my future career, but I still think International Studies would have been a great fit for me. Although Economics classes can revolve around mathematics—such as Introduction to Statistics and Mathematics for Economics—which sometimes urges me to reconsider my choice, I am generally satisfied with my current major.

Park Ji-eun (Jr., Dept. of French Language & Lit.)

   Growing up, I would not have expected myself to major in French Language and Literature. I chose my major after having college admission consultations and entered university with no prior knowledge of French culture or language. When I first took major-specific courses in my sophomore year, I found it rather overwhelming to take classes led by foreign professors in an unfamiliar language, so I decided to take a year off. I also considered switching my major, but eventually decided against it because I was concerned that I would face a similar conflict if I found that it did not match my goals and passions. Despite my reluctance to settle in a new department, I am still interested in what other majors have to offer. For example, if I could have chosen another field of specialty, I probably would have tried out Sociology as I have always been fascinated with analyzing social issues from varying perspectives.

   I realized how important majors are in college, as I have seen many friends who entered college with a genuine passion for their majors only to struggle and feel unsatisfied with their initial choices. Therefore, I believe that declaring majors after admission would be incredibly helpful in letting students explore different courses before deciding to settle in one specific area of study; such systems would also allow students to feel more secure in their choice of major, especially because having the necessary resources to think carefully about what they want to pursue would lessen the doubt that students might have regarding their academic field.