I'm a biology major.
I signed up for, of course, the sci-fi, and then there was some alternative music booths,
some getting-to-know-people booths, there's Scrabble, tea clubs, everything—
it's so cool.
Move-in day went so smoothly.
I went door-to-door just kind of answering questions
and meeting all of my residents.
We all have office hours.
All the faculty on campus have typically 3 hours a week
that we set aside just to meet with students.
Many of us have far more than that.
The benefit of liberal arts is that
it really is just so applicable to anything.
It's a good base for just being a
more humanly aware person.
I came in as a chemistry major and
purely only thinking science—science background, that I'll come out with it—
but after doing some of the gen eds that I took
it made me really interested in anthropology
and cultural work so I decided to go into that.
Right now, psychology, sociology, and gender and women's studies.
I like working with people and I want to, like, help people. I've always been interested in that.
I'm strongly considering international studies,
possibly political science,
but other than that, I'm only really considering a minor in Italian.
I'm taking a class—a political science class—
and I like it so I might consider that.
I'm very interested in how human interaction has developed,
how it's perceived and how people kind of
understand each other and through that understanding of each other,
understand how they identify themselves.
I'm still considering either math or physics.
Well, I came in as a biology major but I'm trying to switch to psychology.
I think the most important thing is, like, what's to come,
like what the major will lead you into
once college is over with. Obviously
'cause you're going to school to, you know, get a good job.
And so that's like what's also important. But then also
like, something that you really enjoy.
Okay, I'm thinking anthropology.
(Okay.) But my mom is complaining about
what jobs can you find with that.
More and more cultural anthropologists are working in urban settings.
My science students really loved reading on
the effects of the Internet on our lives, by an anthropologist.
I like to encourage students that talk to me
to not really put blinders on about one subject that they're interested in.
And if there are other sideline interests, pursue that.
When I was a biology student here, from almost
the very beginning, one of my other major interests was classic civ.
And I actually minored in classic civ.
It's kind of cheesy, but, like, the one course can really kind of make a difference.
Yeah, the LAS background,
you're not so technical, that you can actually
communicate with people. (Yeah.) And I've actually
been told that that's a big benefit.
I wish I could tell you that I had a plan—
when I started I had a plan—
but I clearly didn't follow that.
Now my degree is in geology,
but the field that I was actually working in was civil engineering.
All of the things that you need as a basic foundation
you learn in the College of LAS.
Yeah, I was definitely excited. I'm excited
to meet my classmates, like, you know, when school starts.
I moved in on Monday, so, I got to move in early too.
I've met a lot of people and I guess I'm looking forward to
taking the people that I've met and becoming
real friends, genuine friends with them—
throughout all the different activities that are offered in Champaign.
