h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I woke up this morning and nothing felt at all unusual. I was sure it was going to be a perfectly normal day. How wrong I was! I feel I've approached a crisis at school. I've been happily cruising along majoring in psychology for the last two and a half years and I've suddenly realised I hate it So far I have taken six psychology courses and I've only really enjoyed one of them. I've just calculated it and realised that I have six more to do. I'm only half done!!

In September of 2006 I thought about changing my major to English I foolishly decided to stick with Psychology I think I felt like I would be a quitter I heard about people changing their majors several times but was sure that wasn't for me. Last semester I really started to realise that I didn't like psychology but I felt I'd come so far I didn't want to change now. Almost by accident I took a medieval studies course and loved it and the professor. Now I'm taking one of his history courses

This whole thing really started for me this afternoon at about 11:30. I was sitting in my new psychology class (health psychology, I have no idea why I picked that one) and I slowly started to hate the professor. I think she thought she was being funny but she was driving me crazy She ranted about people who spelled things wrong and things like that. I think I prefer someone friendly who doesn't maliciously make fun of other peoples accidental errors So as I say there all I could do was content myself with looking rather irritated, not that it did much to help my mood. She also went over time which is annoying if you have a class right after, which I did.

My next class was the history course I'm taking with my favourite professor I was sitting there and all of a sudden it hit me that I could take more of his courses if I wasn't doing psychology. I admit the idea had occurred to me before... but I had dismissed it. I was still feeling loyal to psychology My dad had suggested to me that if I was so interested in medieval studies perhaps I should major in it but my response was "Don't tempt me!!" I think perhaps, for whatever reason, I had suddenly given myself permission to think about it.
As I continued to sit there I suddenly realised that I would be so much happier if I wasn't taking psychology. It wasn't an epiphany... It was more a sudden realisation that if I gave myself permission I could be doing something more fun. I wanted to immediately run out of the room and drop all my psychology courses Of course I didn't. I don't want to do anything rash, I've got to think about it first

So here I am trying to figure out what on earth to do. Just the thought of doing more psychology courses makes me feel crabby. I stuck it out all last semester thinking to myself that perhaps I was just having a bad semester... but it doesn't seem to me to be getting any better

I think I'm going to go make myself something to eat now. Then I'll look at what I would have to do to major in history. The thing is that right now would be an idea time to switch. We've only had two days of school and those don't really count as it was all only going over the course outline and most people didn't show up because they wanted a longer Christmas vacation So I could very easily switch classes now. Also my apointment to declare my major isn't until the 16th. There's still time to save myself!!!

Any suggestions would be extremely welcome.
Thanks all for listening. I feel much better for having talked about it

It sounds to me as though you've already made the decision.

English and History makes a nice combination. Medieval history is particularly interesting. Psychology... well, the most screwed-up person I know is a professor of psychology. What more do you need to know?

Thanks Ivan
I have made the decision I'm now looking for courses to put in the gaps that the psychology courses will leave.
I'm now looking to major in English and minor in medieval studies

I agree with Ivan,

If you are not getting any enjoyment or satisfaction out of it, and now is a good time to change, then do it. Hope you don't fancy the professor, that would not be good reason to change ........

Websailor

No, that's not it. You're right that would be a bad reason. I changed because for some reason everything he says is interesting. I think its that I like the topic and he teaches it in an interesting way. It's always better to learn from someone who seems genuinely excited about what they're teaching. Or at least I think so.

I'm now signed up for an Italian class (in English) on some book written in the 1350s as well as an english class that I think is on British and American plays written before WWII. Definitely sounds better to me than psychology.

The book written in the 1350s - it wouldn't be the Decameron, would it?

Ah yes! Well done. I couldn't remember what it was called. Have you read it?

I have a copy - I haven't yet read it - I admit I bought it mostly because it's an older edition in a nice binding. The problem is that the translation itself is rather old-fashioned. I might get a modern version from Penguin Classics for actual *reading*.

Ah yes, and then you can hide that one in your closet and display the older one on your shelf and impress people as they'll think that's the one you read

Well, yes. But that wsn't the intention... I was going to sit down and struggle through it, honest I was.

I know. Don't worry. These things tend to happen. I'm quite sure I would have done the same thing. In fact I'm sure I do. I have tons of books on my shelves that may look good... but I've never even read them, so it's all good unless someone asks me about them

Do tell. What are the titles?

<laugh To be honest I have to confess I don't know, I never even look at them. I know there's three nice encyclopaedias, some Daniel Defoe books I've hardly looked at...

The Defoe would be interesting - especially 'A Journal of the Plague Year'.

I bought the Penguin Classics 'Decameron' today. I fully intend to read it.

Yes, I have that one. I really keep meaning to read it as it's so short looking.

I had my first class on the Decameron today. It was great! I like the professor and the book sounds like it might be interesting.

I plan to start on it tonight, but I might not get past the introductory material. I always read that sort of thing.

Oh well we'll be reading it together, so to speak. I have to read that stuff for class and also make a start on it. Did you get a penguin? Mine is an Oxford classic.

Yes, it's the Penguin not the Oxford. We'll be able to compare notes on the stories, if not the actual words.

That sounds great!
I just read the introduction to the first day. I found it very interesting. I once did a project on the plague for a science class but it was interesting to read a first hand account as it were.

How long is the Oxford edition?

The Penguin comes in at 900 pages, with another 150 or so in the introduction and preface and so forth. It's a bit heavy for bedtime reading but I'll try.