Days

Well, it's nice to see that the days are getting longer. Finally noticing it. Clocks go forward this weekend. As much as I don't like getting up an hour earlier, I sure am exited to go home from work in the light.

A Run-In

I went to campus yesterday evening to meet with my lab partner.  After finishing our lab write up, I headed to the bus stop.  I ran into a guy that I once had in my multivariable calculus class.  I’m sure you have those friendly acquaintances that you talk to occasionally every now and then but don’t really know.  He’s one of those.  He’s doing a combined major in physics and biochemistry. * When we took that class (two years ago), I remember him telling me he was having trouble deciding on his major.  His main interests were physics and biology.   He said “[blah blah blah blah; something about physics, how he likes, etc], but I really like biology,” and “In biology, there are only a few required forth year courses and you get to pick the rest of them, but in physics, it’s more structure, but I still really like both of them.”

Fast-tracking to the present, after we got on the bus, I asked him if he was still thinking of going back to do a math degree.
“Yeah, I’ve been thinking of that off and on, but I really kind of just feel like it would be a waste of my time when what I think I really love more than anything else is music.”  The next thing I said was a little hard for me to say, but easier to say to someone that was experiencing a similar problem.
“Well, to tell you the truth, I kind of regret my major decision too.”
“You do?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“Well, electrical engineering – I mean it’s interesting, but there are so many other things that I’m so much more interested in.  Anthropology, biology, psychology, physics, and music.”
“Well, then we should go have a drink, and drink away our woeful regrets.”  I laughed and agreed.

Normally, the problem of my uncertainty with my academic path is something that I hate talking about.  Something I keep bottled up and brew about.  It bothers me every day.  I really mean that.  It drives me insane.   Even though I hadn’t given him the whole story, even though I hadn’t explained to him the full magnitude my regret, anxiety and remorse, it felt good.  It felt really good.  It made me want to pursue that feeling of relief more frequently.  It definitely made me less afraid to admit it to people.  This is an anonymous blog, and I don’t think it’s appropriate to expose the names of other people when I’m not exposing my own.  So, I won’t, but I say thanks.