<p>I will be attending a small liberal arts school starting this fall, and I have encountered an unexpected problem with choosing a major. To put it simply, I have been called into God’s service. He asks that I become a Catholic nun or sister after college (note: most religious communities in the United States require a bachelor’s degree for entry). I, a prospective psychology major who wanted/wants to earn a master’s and work with autistic people, was stunned upon receiving the call. </p>
<p>My question: should I go ahead and earn a psychology degree with an eye towards serving the special needs community as a sister, or should I switch to religious studies? Should I try a double major or a major-minor combination? Should I go in as undeclared and make my decision during freshman year? The school I will be going to does not have a nursing major or an education major. </p>
<p>Note: please do not criticize my vocation or ask where it came from. I’m as bewildered as you are.</p>
<p>I think that you are fine majoring in Psychology. If you are going to a school thats specific to the order you want to join (i.e. you’re going to Loyola and want to join the Jesuits) then you should probably double major with the special religion major that the school offers (i.e. Villanova has a cross-disciplinary major in Augustinian teachings). But a psychology major sounds appropriate.</p>
<p>I don’t know much about being a nun, but I think psychology would be a much better choice:</p>
<ol>
<li>Helping special needs people seems to be your passion. Even if being a nun is another passion, you’ll at least already BE a nun. Might as well fulfill your other roles.</li>
<li>I imagine you’ll be getting plenty of religious studies there, and it would be easier to self-learn any more religious studies you need as a nun than it would be to self-learn psychology.</li>
</ol>
<p>I tried double-majoring in two hard sciences and ended up dropping once since it was neither my passion nor easy to do. I imagine psychology and religious studies have fewer credit hours, so it may be easier to double major, and it’s certainly possible to minor. However, I say that if you have any other passions [you want to teach, you enjoy literature, etc.], choose a minor in one of those other areas since you WILL have easier access to religious studies as a nun and probably not to other subjects you want to explore.</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone. Lot’s of interesting thoughts. I especially appreciate AtomicCafe’s comment. </p>
<p>BTW, I was raised Catholic and confirmed. I lapsed during my adolescence, but show me a person who hasn’t done that! </p>
<p>I first felt called to religious life at eleven. My researches into it have been extensive, though I am still in the very early stages of discernment as of now. I am interested in the Sisters of Mercy and the Dominican Sisters of Nashville, as well as the orders that have been contacting me after I signed up for a vocations website.</p>
<p>What wonderful news about your vocation and your courage to answer God’s call!!! You should definitely get some feedback from the orders that most interest you as well. Good luck and God bless!!! :)</p>
<p>This from an atheist. Goethe famously said, if you want to know the infinite explore the finite in every direction. Study literature, biology, philosophy, history, astronomy, study all that is farthest from religion in order to confirm your calling and provide a contrast. I am a psychologist but the best ones are not those with PhDs like myself but those who have mastered Aeschylus or Shakespeare. The ancient dramatists knew more about the human condition and described it better.</p>
<p>You will also be part of a closed group so it is important to implement F Scott Fitzgerald’s maxim: the best test of intelligence is to keep two opposing ideas in one’s head and still function. Remember Blake’s line from Heaven and Hell, “you must know more than enough to know what is enough”.</p>
<p>Therefore, read widely, dont worry about which major will make you a useful nun. Of all people nuns and monks must not find a need to justify themselves. Be a useless nun if only to point to us that there is another, more contemplative, more otherworldly ways to go thru life.</p>