<p>Just curious.</p>
<p>For instance, as for myself, these are my tentative long-term ideas. You don’t have to respond to them, I’m writing them more for myself than anybody else. :)</p>
<li><p>Do economics courses and try to enrol onto the Economics major. Far from certain I’ll succeed since “The average GPA in prerequisite courses for students admitted to the major in recent years has been a 3.4.” Do the more mathematically-based economics courses for reasons given in 6).</p></li>
<li><p>Do Chem 1A, Bio 1B and Math1A-1B in the first two semesters. This will keep me on the premed track in the freshman year. Try to do a shadowing arrangement with a doctor during the summer. (Is that realistic?). This is because I don’t know whether I’d like to work in the medical profession and this would be a good way to find out. I am also far from enthusiastic about doing all the stupid organic chemistry modules. Considering that a) some people will be genuinely interested in that nonsense, b) I suspect most premeds are a lot more motivated about being doctors than myself and c) I will actually have to get a high GPA off those stupid chemistry modules which in no way tie in with my social sciences interests so as to have a chance at medical school, I think it’s likely I won’t bother keeping up a premed schedule after the first year.</p></li>
<li><p>The “sciency” area I’m most interested in is Earth and Planetary Science, so I’ll take EPS50 in the first year and explore it further. Fortunately my first-year premed plans (Bio1B, Chem1A, are recommended or required for the major). If I find it interesting, it would also tie in well with my economics interests (what with concerns about resource depletion and climate change). If I don’t get into the Economics major, I might try to get into EPS instead.</p></li>
<li><p>Both economics and EPS strands require heavy-duty math, so that is the third major strand I’ll be investing in. Perhaps I’ll have time to do a Math minor depending on how things pan out (e.g. if I decide EPS isn’t that interesting after all and concentrate fully on economics).</p></li>
<li><p>Fill up the rest of the schedule with things I’m interested in like political science and philosophy courses as well as the more boring requirements (e.g. American Cultures). </p></li>
<li><p>In sophomore+ years try to get into research programs and do honors thesis in senior year. I’d very much like to get into a good graduate school in economics, but from the look of things that is going to be quite hard.</p></li>
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<p>Yikes!</p>
<li><p>Get a bureaucratic job at the World Bank or a research fellowship at a university and leech off society. Strut about and pass myself off as a [public</a> intellectual](<a href=“http://www.infoplease.com/spot/topintellectuals.html]public”>The Prospect/FP Top 100 Public Intellectuals). Don’t go into private sector commercial jobs which are populated by workaholics.</p></li>
<li><p>Fall into an alcohol-fuelled depression in my mid-40’s, abandon materialism and set off on a journey of spiritual discovery. Attain it and found a new religion, make a lot of money off it and rediscover the perks of materialism. Have a scandal involving homosexual prostitutes and drugs. Flee the US, buy up a Pacific island with the money I made and start working on WMD and planning all kinds of twisted evil plots. Go down blazing in glory as US marines storm the island.</p></li>
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