How to Choose a Major in College without Really Trying

In the fall of 1979, I was a senior in high school with no concrete plans. Most of the kids in my class had some sort of plan; they were headed to UT, A&M, TCU, Southwest Texas (now Texas State) and some were even leaving the great state of Texas to pursue their dreams. We lived in a nice, middle class area in southwest Houston where most of those that were interested found a way to get to college. Me, I had no plans.

My current boyfriend was attending Alvin Junior College on a baseball scholarship and my insecure self could not imagine myself anywhere but by his side to ward off any enthusiastic female fans. He elected not to play ball after that year, but suffice it to say that Alvin Junior College did not make my mother's list of "Top 50 Colleges for Young Women". She was determined that I attend college, I was just as determined to be as stubborn and unhelpful as remotely possible while still gaining my freedom. I wanted to go somewhere, anywhere, and college seemed to be the ticket out of the house.

So my research as to where I would make my great escape went something like this: I asked a friend at work.

Me: Friend, where are you going to college?
Friend: Stephen F. Austin
Me: Where is that?
Friend: Nacogdoches
Me: We drive through there on our way to Arkansas. Sounds good, I'll go there too.

I may have left out a few other exchanges, but that is pretty much the gist of it. I took the SAT and ACT, scored well enough for entrance and informed my beleaguered mother of my choice.

Fast forward to orientation.

I wasn't really sure about college, except as an escape route from the house, so I really didn't have any idea about what I wanted to major in.....quite honestly, it all sounded like a bunch of work! The poor orientation leader tried to engage me, but I didn't have a lot to offer.

Orientation Leader: What kind of things are you interested in?
Me: Summer camp?
Orientation Leader: What else are you interested in?
Me: Partying? (This was probably not said out loud as my mother was sitting there....)
Orientation Leader: Why don't you look through the catalog and see if something sparks your interest.
Me: Ok
Mother: Mindy, just choose something you think you might enjoy. You can always change your mind but it's good to have a plan. What did you enjoy most in school?
Me: Field trips, I enjoyed field trips. To anywhere.

I literally thumbed through the catalog and chose the major that had the most field trips. I became a Forestry major. This choice was celebrated by the orientation leader (because he finally got to move on to the next person), my mother (because I had a plan) and me (because I was going to get to go on field trips).

I lasted exactly one year in the Forestry program and took all sorts of field trips: to a plywood plant, learned how to make particle board, a sawmill, a pine tree seedling farm, and many trips (rain or shine) to the SFA Experimental Forest. I hiked all over the campus and surrounding woods gathering leaf specimens for Dendrology and learned how to measure and count trees. I learned how to report technical information and write lab reports. And absolutely none of that basic knowledge has gone to waste - ironically, 30 years later, I am using many of the things I learned as I pursue a terminal degree in Forest Hydrology.

My mother was right, it's good to have a plan. Even if you change your mind and travel down many other roads in between, knowledge is never wasted. And while I was too young and stubborn to appreciate it at the time, I appreciate the fact that she never gave up on me and always believed in me. May my children be equally blessed.