I don’t know if it has to do with being back in Vancouver again, or the recent announcement that a bunch of people’s personal information and Social Insurance Numbers were stolen from Canada Student Loans, but I’ve been thinking about school a lot, lately. There are so many paths that my life could have gone down, even within my university career. I am and have been interested in so many different fields of study, that it was difficult to choose just one path, especially when certain things seemed to get in the way—like specific classes I needed to take.
Before transferring to the University of British Columbia (UBC), I went to Langara College, for a year. I took a number of art history courses,most of which I really enjoyed, and sparked my creativity.
One class in particular made me plan out a particular career path — a course on Indigenous art from Central and South America. I was inspired by my instructor’s enthusiasm, the interesting subject materials and the potential for future research in the field. I’d planned out my education to work around this new-found interest in Indigenous art of Latin America. Meaning, for my mandatory 2nd language requirement, I was going to take Spanish. . .and a ton of other related courses in the art history department and others.
Taken in Teotihuacán, Mexico
The one course on Latin American art that I took in college was pretty enjoyable, so I thought for sure I’d like the 2nd year course at UBC. Rather than making the subject matter seem relevant and interesting, and relating it to something current, the professor of the Latin American art history courses at UBC preferred to make everyone memorize every single little detail about things like the Mayan Calendar. Really, if this was going to be what was in store for me if I continued on this education and career path – I wanted out.
I thought I would have gone to Mexico to study Spanish and about the Indigenous Arts there, on exchange, but decided to completely switch to (a few other things and then) Indigenous Art of North America and New Zealand, and study the French language instead. Slightly different.
Have you ever had a single class or course change your future in the same way?
I was an elementary education major, and when I saw others doing coloring pages or something like that as an assignment I wondered if that was what I wanted. I started reading my now husband's abnormal psych book and was hooked! Switched my major and off I went..sure I would have had probably a better chance at a career with education, but I stopped Psych after B.S. burned out with school and ready to start a family and that became my career.
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Thank you for your comment – your Psych background may come in handy for your current career?! 🙂 I don't really 'use' my degree in daily life – but I learned so much and a more varied skill set, and appreciation for different things.
I was really worried about the usefulness of my degree, but from what I have seen businesses like any degree just to show you commit to and complete something. My advisor said places liked Liberal Arts ones. I think he said because we think or that we are varied like you said.
Maybe I can use the Psych with my kids as they grow 🙂
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I think you're right – there are definitely very useful skills you gain when you get a degree in the Arts. I have really learned a lot about myself, too.
I always thought I wanted to major in Chemistry until I took my first college Chem class. Changed my major quick enough!
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I took humanities and had no idea how crazy it would be – we were goingo into churches to draw windows from the inside, parked in front of greek style buildings, so we can draw the columns – it was so not fun
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That sounds kind of stressful!
I've taken so many classes over the years, and they all left me with something useful. I kind of had the opposite experience with nursing school, though, I was all set to become a nurse, doing fantastic in the course and learning to enjoy the work. However, my nursing instructor was so unprofessional and horrible, that I ended up leaving the program. That made me take a look at whether I could handle nursing as a career. After much thought, I decided that it wasn't' for me and I should stick with writing. However, that course gave me the knowledge I needed to do health writing, which gave me an income and the confidence to start my own freelance career.
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Gorgeous pictures!
Thank you!
I had a professor whose methods were very similar to yours. Instead of having us engage with the subject, she expected us to just memorize facts and details. I'm a visual learner – I want to look at something, study the details – not just memorize.
Your photos are fabulous, by the way. I would LOVE to travel to various ruins worldwide – bucket list.
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I know – I would learn so much more and actually retain it if it meant something more to me – not just memorization only for the next exam! thank you – I would recommend going to Guatemala to see the Mayan ruins, or even Mexico City.
I don't know if there was one class, but I took a few Sociology classes in college when I thought that would be my minor. I was so turned off by it and hated it!
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Those are fantastic pictures. I hope you got to go to Mexico despite changing majors.
Thank you – yes, they were taken in Mexico. 🙂
I ended up with 3 minors because I kept getting interested in more subjects based off one class. I dropped my 2nd major because I didn't like the professor!
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When I was in school I had my heart set on going into advertising. I don't know what happened along the way but I keep wondering what would have happened (or could have happened) if I continued to pursue that little desire!