Lauren
My name is Lauren and I'm a recent Penn State graduate. I really struggle with making decisions. As a senior in high school, I submitted three college deposits because I couldn't decide where I wanted to go to school. As you can imagine, once I got to Penn State, choosing a major among the over 150 offered seemed like a very daunting task.
I came in as a biology major and explored classes in biobehavioral health, economics, international politics, chemistry and political science. I wasn't enamored enough with any of the subjects to commit to majoring in them. Then I took a geography class, at the suggestion of my DUS advisor, and I knew it was the major for me. I could study political geography, economic geography, environmental geography--so many different options, perfect for an indecisive person like myself!
My geography courses took me to west Philadelphia, Southeast Asia, India, and Bulgaria. My sophomore year I discovered geosciences, which opened up even more options. I was even able to travel throughout the western United States for two months with Geoscience Field Camp. My geosciences and geography majors also allowed me to spend a semester studying abroad in Ghana and a summer on a research internship in Germany. I'll be spending next year in Tajikistan on a Fulbright grant, using the skills I've gained through both majors to study water access issues.
Choosing what to study at Penn State is a really exciting challenge and it's worth spending time in DUS to figure it out. Don't be afraid to test out different subjects and change your mind a few times! I couldn't be happier with where I ended up, and if you take the time to find what's right for you, I'm sure you'll feel the same.
