First Day of Classes

Kara Rubenstein- Los Angeles, CA

 There was nothing more intimidating than stepping into my very first classroom on my first day of classes in college. Everyone seemed older than me, wiser than me, and more at ease than me. I was signed up for a plethora of classes that I had no clue what they were about and I wasn't quite sure what it was that I really wanted to focus on in college. I came into Pitzer thinking I wanted to create my own major, but also knowing that I really loved English Literature. It was a whole new world for me, filled with curiosity, nervousness, and excitement all at the same time. I never would have believed how much my insights have changed - any discomfort in the classroom is practically nonexistent - and I will be graduating with a combined degree in Sociology and Literature this coming May.

Although I knew I wanted to be involved in the arts after college, I was avoiding applying to art schools because I did not want the restrictions and instead chose to apply to liberal arts schools in order to get an undergraduate education where I could study in fields other than the arts. Who would have guessed that I would randomly take Sociology Through Film and absolutely love the subject enough to immediately declare myself a combined Literature and Sociology major? There is a great freedom that comes from going to a liberal arts college. It allows us to really explore any and all topics that we may be interested in and it gives us the leniency to change our minds and figure out what we want to study as we move along. In my first semester, I took no official Sociology or Literature courses, but I still had the opportunity to explore my options and try out random courses like Intro to History of Ideas. Having the flexibility that we have at Pitzer is what can be so wonderful about liberal arts colleges - you do not have to know what you want to do and you do not have to know where you want to go. College is a time for exploring and figuring it all out, so take the time to let yourself go and try something new that you never thought you would because you never know where that could take you.