SIS or Bust: Desperate times need not call for separate measures

SARAH PARNASS / THE EAGLE

There’s a surprisingly large faction of undecided and decidedly non-SIS undergraduates at AU whose undeclared insecurities are done no favors by their uber-ambitious, ever-interning, IR-ophile peers. So what’s a major-less student with a less-than-mild interest in politics to do in an environment that imbibes it?

For starters, he or she could leave. This shouldn’t imply SIS-or-GTFO. Rather: someone so intolerant of pre-politicos and the like ought not to torture themselves in AU’s other programs. Surely it’s hard to focus on chemistry or psychology knowing that, somewhere on campus, two hopeless blowhards are engaged in a quasi-intellectual debate about a headline they read in The New York Times. Indeed, those bitterly staunch, anti-SIS students would be better served elsewhere.

Alternatively, there are those who, though disinterested in the International Service scene, manage to be generally tolerant of it while seeking a niche of their own. Here are some not-so-traditional tips with that task in mind:

1. Don’t be fooled by the Type A diplomat-in-training flaunting her five-year career plan. Despite her abundant ambitions, there is no inherent disparity between her abilities or yours. Of course, this isn’t a license to disdain her, either. You’re the one without any plan, after all.
2. Brute force immersion – Check in with the professors of your least favorite classes. Just because you’re taking a Gen Ed course doesn’t mean you can’t explore beyond the syllabus. Extrapolate from the tedium and find a way to apply the relevant theories to something you can appreciate within the subject. Hate biology? Like Harry Potter? Check out this  immortal jellyfish.
3. Be manipulative. You’re not going to find a perfect major. You won’t even come close to a decent one if you indifferently follow the curriculum like an obedient scout. It’s unreasonable to expect an academic program offered to thousands of students to be tailored perfectly for you.

So work the system to get what you need to get your foot in the door to a career. Befriend your advisor, engage your professors and don’t hesitate to bribe people off the waitlist for the class you desperately want or need to take. This sounds like a rather crass approach to what’s supposed to be an intellectually-enriching journey, but this kind of motivation is more admirable and effective than passivity and accepting the status quo.

Remember: no major can exclude a career in any given field. Granted, you may need different certification should you opt for a drastic change, but the issue then will be only how much more work you’re willing to do. If you end up with degrees in applied physics and musical theater, then at least you can say that you’re literally more educated than those exclusively physics majors.