Biology
So I wouldn’t have to write term papers.
English lit, because I just couldn’t think of anything I enjoyed, other than reading.
Animal science- because she wanted to ride a horse.
English and Anthopology because he made check marks next to all the classes that sounded interesting.
Political Science because my chosen major (Broadcast Journalism) had classes that bored me out of my mind but I enjoyed my Poly Sci classes (and loved blue books and over explaining everything to death). In my mind, a liberal arts degree was…a liberal arts degree.
My D chose economics because it was the class she hated the least in high school. She added finance and math as she went along.
Math because I realized I only needed to take 3 more classes my senior year and it also meant no senior projects. (I had already declared a design of environment major and art history minor.)
Modern languages and literature because my English was better than a high school class mate’s of mine despite her having spent time in the UK unlike myself. She had decided on that major and, I thought, if she could, so could I! Also, because there would be no math whatsoever. The alternatives would have been psychology, sociology or pedagogy. I really enjoyed my major, more so the language and linguistics side of things than the literature parts. The alternative majors would have worked great if combined with a modern language but this was before the study abroad and Erasmus Scholarship days.
I wanted to add to my comment that we had to pick our major right after the end of our Senior year in high school. There was little flexibility to change majors unless at the same College, i.e. I could have changed to something offered at the College of Letters only, such as classical languages or semitic languages but not to a major in the College of Medicine or at the College of History and Geography, for example. If you did, you would most likely have had to start pretty much at the beginning.
Biology
It was about grades.
I really wanted to major in psychology, and I had taken the prerequisites for both majors. My grades in biology and chemistry were much higher than those in psychology, and I actually found the science courses easier (weird as it may sound). I was afraid that if I chose the psychology major, I wouldn’t get grades high enough to graduate. As a bio major, I made Phi Beta Kappa.
Anthropology. Because the Great Pyramids, Sphinx, and ancient history in general have always fascinated me.
Arts & Humanities. Because it had few requirements and it made sure I was in a pretty nice dorm.
Premed. So I could make a lot of money.
Religious Studies. Because I didn’t need to major in anything practical, since I was just going to get married and be a housewife.
First History: Because it was the thing I had most trouble with so thought I would learn the most.
Then Math: So I wouldn’t have to write any more term papers.
Yup.
First: engineering, because my GC said that it’s what I should pick since I was good at math/science
Second: (as a 2nd semester junior) journalism, because I couldn’t relate to the pocket protector brigade
Third: (for grad school) HR Mgmt, since it was interdisciplinary, and that way, I didn’t really have to make up my mind
Secondary Education with an English Emphasis
My English teachers always favored me, and all of my high school English teachers told me I should be an English teacher. For most of my childhood, I had wanted to be a psychiatrist, but I think I went with what was comfortable to me, and I was clearly impressionable (probably because I loved the praise and attention). I didn’t really think about it.
English –
Because I loved reading novels and plays even I hated to write
Because the English profs were more entertaining than the political Sci profs (better tangents and more of them)
Because I dropped poli sci and the pre-law track after working for attorneys in a law firm library
Cognitive Science – Because it sounded impressive
Behavioral Biology – Because I realized Cognitive Science was boring, this still sounded impressive, and I didn’t think I could cut it as an Applied Math major
Applied Math – Because I was salty that I got locked out of a needed class for my major, and because I hate doing readings / writing papers
English–
Because the biology major required calculus, and I disliked math. And I wanted to spend a year in Europe and still graduate in four years.
Operations Research - because I loved the story on the textbook cover. If I remember correctly, it was about U.S. generals deciding which airplane parts to strengthen with extra steel during WWII based on bullet holes. Most thought that cabin and wings should be the ones since they had the most holes; then a young lieutenant asked shouldn’t it be the tails since those airplanes that were shot in the tail probably had no chance to come back to be examined for the bullet holes?