Having a Major crisis

When I applied to Stevens, I knew it was regarded mainly as an engineering school. Sure, it also offers other science majors, and you could study something from the CAL area, or a type of technology management, but the heart of this innovation university is unquestionably our excellence in engineering. So I actually really loved Biology and Chemistry but I felt that neither of the two were promising majors (unless I wanted to teach or do research). I also really wanted to go to medical school, because there’s a really big part of me that wants to help people directly. When I applied to Stevens, I thought it would be silly to apply as anything but an engineering major and I decided that Biomedical Engineering was perfect.

Within the BME department, I would take courses in areas I like and I would definitely get a well-paying job if I changed my mind about becoming a doctor. I’ve heard from a lot of upperclassmen that people start out as pre-med, and eventually, many decide that it’s not for them. One of the main problems is that medical schools want a high GPA, and the typical engineering curriculum is known to kill GPAs. So, I have to admit that when I failed my Calc 2 midterm, I struggled with the decision of whether or not I should give up my dream of being a doctor.

Even though I’m just a freshman, I feel like I don’t have time for mistakes. Mistakes were okay in high school, but not now. My GPA can’t take a hit, or I’ll be let out of the scholars program. I need to focus on what I want. So if it’s becoming a doctor, I might want to change my major soon to ChemBio, or maybe the new Bio major coming to Stevens next year. It’s time to buckle down and hit the books. But I have to remember, that I don’t have to be perfect in school. Here at Stevens, the faculty members pride themselves in the fact that nearly all graduates get jobs after graduating. People end up where they belong, and it’s not a major crisis that should upset me because I have time to make a decision.