Why are majors always so hard to decide on? Is it the pressure from parents and friends telling you to do this or to do that? There is always the, "Hey, you seem like you'd be a good bio major!" How would they know if I would be good at something if they are not me. So what I decided to do was to stop listeneing to other people's advice and to start listening to myself. I know that I wanted to learn more about social activism and ways that others have dealt with injustices. I never really knew what kind of major would deal with these types of issues. After taking Soc 1 in the fall Quarter of my freshman year I definitely knew I was going to be a Soc major.

Despite knowing that I felt a calling to study Sociology I also knew I would have to plan my career very seriously becasue like most humanities majors, the pay outlook may not be as high if you do not strategically plan a path to get you to where you want to be academically and financially. The type of deep understanding that I was able to gain from this class and all other Soc classes I have taken at UCSB really solidified my decision to declare Sociology as my major. I never thought I would find a major that deals with issues I think about daily. The funny thing was that understanding the course work just came naturally to me because type of issues that are taught in Sociology classes deal with issues I have felt passionate about my entire life. I feel this comfort level is definitely one of the main factors that frequently keeps me interested in pursuing a degree in the field of Sociology.                        

I definitely had a hard time when I was trying to convince my parents that this would be a suitable major for me to grow in. Their concerns mainly dealt with the job outlook for this field. For them, they only saw me being able to be a professor or do research work if I majored in Sociology. ONe thing that helped win hem over a little bit was telling them that are way more options available for careers than becoming a professor—especially since I am planning on doing graduate school after my academic career here at UCSB.    

Sure there are setbacks to this major...just like there are to all majors....such as trying to figure out what the heck I am going to do with a B.A. in Sociology after college since the major is so broad. However, the thing I have found helpful about this "broadness" is the fact that having such a wide-ranged foundation can play into one's own advantage when applying to graduate school because there are many programs that Sociology majors can qualify to study in such as: public policy, non-profit management, social worker, etc.

The cool thing about the Sociology Department is that its like a tight-nit community. This has been extremely helpful for me because of the fact that I have been able to get to know the professors and advisors on much more intimate level. This is definitely rare to find in other departments on our campus. This also allows for awesome accessibility to great resources, such as research opportunities within the field. Doing the research on majors realy helped me choose my major and I am very happy with the result so far.              

So what is involved when trying to decide whether or not to declare Sociology as a Major (or a Minor)? I know that for me the decision was easy because I wanted to learn more about social activism and ways that others have dealt with injustices. After taking Soc 1 in the fall Quarter of my freshman year I definitely knew I was going to be a Soc major. The empowerment I gained from this class and all other Soc classes I have taken at UCSB really solidified my decision to declare Sociology as my major.             

Personally, I never thought I would find a major that deals with issues I think about daily. Understanding the course work just came naturally to me because type of issues that are taught in Sociology classes deal with issues I have felt passionate about my entire life. I feel this comfort level is definitely one of the main factors that frequently keeps me interested in pursuing a degree in the field of Sociology.                        

On a different note, I had some issues when trying to convince my parents that this would be a suitable major for me to grow in. Their concerns mainly dealt with the job outlook for this field. For them, they only saw me being able to be a professor or do research work if I majored in Sociology. I informed them; however; that there are way more options available for careers than becoming a professor—especially since I am planning on doing graduate school after my time here at UCSB.           

Sure there are setbacks to this major...just like there are to all majors....such as trying to figure out what the heck I am going to do with a B.A. in Sociology after college since the major is so broad. However, the thing I have found helpful about this "broadness" is the fact that having such a wide-ranged foundation can play into one's own advantage when applying to graduate school because there are many programs that Sociology majors can qualify to study in such as: public policy, non-profit management, social worker, etc.          

One important thing to note about the Sociology Department is that it makes up a very small and tight-nit community. This has been extremely helpful for me because of the fact that I have been able to get to know the professors and advisors on an intimate level. This is definitely rare to find in other departments on our campus. This also allows for awesome accessibility to great resources, such as research opportunities within the field.                

All in all I've truly enjoyed my undergraduate experience thus far as Sociology major. The professors and advisors in the Sociology Department are extremely friendly and helpful when it comes to picking classes, finding research opportunities, and landing great internships. I highly recommend that any one interested in declaring this major come into the Career Services (a.k.a. the Pink Building next to H.S.S.B.) to explore all of the different options available to Soc majors.