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OPINION speak UP IF YOU COULD CREATE A MAJOR, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
“Major in applied science because mostly sciences here are taught with the notion of going into medicine, but that’s not always the case.”
REBECCA LIGHT FRESHMAN
ASH SAMPATH SENIOR
“I would do a cake decorating major. I’m intrigued. I like the creativity and the food.”
XIAOYANG FAN SOPHOMORE
SPEAK UP ANSWERS ARE EDITED FOR CLARITY, BREVITY AND ACCURACY. CHECK OUT VIDEO SPEAK UPS AT THEMIAMIHURRICANE.COM. COMPILED BY ASHLEY MARTINEZ
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Independent majors lack breathing room This fall, students can begin creating independent majors, but they should not jump at the thought of majoring in underwater basket weaving just yet. Given the dozens of existing departments and hundreds of courses offered in the College of Arts and Sciences, there are definitely new options that have never even been considered. However, the breadth of program options will ultimately be limited by the expertise of faculty and spectrum of courses available on this campus. Pursuing an independent major will require either an aboveaverage familiarity with the university and its faculty, or the drive to navigate through the bureaucracy of departments and figure it all out. Next year, only five students will be able to start pursuing an independent major, and the university is wise to set that limit.
To handle an independent major, you need to be independent. Most sophomores don’t know enough about the faculty and resources at UM, or have a strong enough grasp of their professional ambitions, to be able to craft their own program of study. Consider an independent study class. To take such a course, a student, at the very least, needs to have established a strong enough relationship with a professor for him or her to be interested in being a mentor throughout the semester. The student also needs to be imaginative enough to come up with something new and know that the course has never been taught before. Now multiply the preparation level for that potentially three-credit course, by 10. A 30-credit independent major will take a lot of planning and persistence.
Students may also encounter courses that are offered on a limited basis. Some professors choose to teach a class only in the fall or spring semester, or even on a whim. Unless there’s a way to guarantee when a class will be available, it’s a bad idea to incorporate it into your study track. We don’t recommend this for everyone. Students should be certain enough about their majors so that a change of heart doesn’t throw them off track for graduation. You have to know what you want and be sure of it. You also have to know how to get it and be ready to go after it. But for those who are up for the challenge, we are eager to discover what creative study paths you can come up with. Editorials represent the majority view of The Miami Hurricane editorial board.
Be realistic in financing future hen I envision my future, it isn’t lavish. “Live comfortably” is how I typically describe my financial goals. Such vague terminology allows me to assume that I will be happy no matter how much money I make, as long as I am satisfied with my lifestyle. AMANDA But sometimes an ambiguous WOOD target is more harmful than helpful. SENIOR Though quality of life is arguably COLUMNIST more important than the quantity of money, without a measurable standard of what we want, there is no way to track progress toward our goals. Instead, we aimlessly worry about money, with no end to our frantic efforts at saving in sight. The best way to deal with economic woes is to first think about what kind of a life we want, and then figure out how much money we need to get there. This can be difficult when much of the future is uncertain, but I’ve outlined strategies to help students like myself plan our finances. Having more money would seem to correlate with peace of mind in spending, but I know plenty of people with more money than I have who still fret over every
W
“Eating delicious food and describing how it is and then giving suggestions to food makers because I love eating.”
The Miami
You have to know what you want and be sure of it ... for those who are up for the challenge, we are eager to discover what creative study paths you can come up with.
purchase. This illustrates an important lesson: There is no perfect amount of money that brings a complete peace of mind in spending. Knowing this, I’ve realized that agonizing over making as much money as possible isn’t an effective way to prepare for the future. First of all, we must acknowledge that debt is inevitable. Accepting this allows us to view the future realistically. Secondly, we need to determine what kind of lifestyle we want. I’ve learned it’s impossible to plan without goals in mind. It’s also essential to understand that reaching these goals will take time. Extra costs arise without warning and bills pile up. In time, security will come by paying off debt in small increments and slowly increasing savings. Finally, we must learn to be content with our current finances. This shouldn’t stop us from earning. Rather, it simply suggests that we appreciate what we can afford and focus on what we need. The idea is to improve upon some unknown goal, not to constantly look ahead to it. Call it naive, but I think that looking at everything – even personal finances – from a positive perspective can make life a little brighter. Amanda Wood is a junior majoring in ecosystem science and policy. April 7 - April 9, 2014
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Stephanie Parra
BUSINESS MANAGER Tara Kleppinger
MANAGING EDITOR Margaux Herrera
SALES REPS Frankie Carey Carlos Parra
ART DIRECTOR Carlos Mella
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Erika Glass
PHOTO EDITOR Monica Herndon
AD DESIGNER Adam Berger
ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR Nick Gangemi
ASSISTANT MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Daniel Cepero
NEWS EDITOR Alexander Gonzalez
DESIGNERS Emma Deardorff Sarbani Ghosh Jassenia Rodriguez
OPINION EDITOR Lyssa Goldberg EDGE EDITOR Marlee Lisker
ONLINE EDITOR Alysha Khan
SPORTS EDITOR Spencer Dandes
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Kristen Calzadilla
ASSISTANT EDITOR Ashley Martinez
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Isabel Vichot
COPY EDITORS Emily Dabau Sherman Hewitt Monica Sabates Alina Zerpa
FACULTY ADVISER Bob Radziewicz FINANCIAL ADVISER Steve Priepke
WEBMASTER Morgan McKie
To reach a member of the staff visit themiamihurricane.com’s contact page. ©2014 University of Miami
The Miami Hurricane is published semi-weekly during the regular academic year and is edited and produced by undergraduate students at the University of Miami. The publication does not necessarily represent the views and opinions of advertisers or the university’s trustees, faculty or administration. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of The Miami Hurricane’s Editorial Board. Commentaries, letters and cartoons represent only the views of their respective authors. The newsroom and business office of The Miami Hurricane are located in the Student Activities Center, Student Media Suite 200. LETTER POLICY The Miami Hurricane encourages all readers to voice their opinions on issues related to the university or in response to any report published in The Miami Hurricane. Letters to the editor may be submitted typed or handwritten to the Student Activities Center, Student Media Suite 200, or mailed to P.O. Box 248132, Coral Gables, Fla., 33124-6922. Letters must be signed with a copy of your Cane Card. ADVERTISING POLICY The Miami Hurricane’s business office is located at 1330 Miller Drive, Student Activities Center Student Media Suite 200. The Miami Hurricane is published on Mondays and Thursdays during the university’s fall and spring academic terms. Newspapers are distributed for free on the Coral Gables campus, the School of Medicine and off-campus locations. DEADLINES All ads must be received, cash with copy, in The Miami Hurricane business office, Student Activities Center Student Media Suite 200, by noon Tuesday for Thursday’s issue and noon Friday for Monday’s issue. SUBSCRIPTIONS The Miami Hurricane is available for subscription at the rate of $50 per year. AFFILIATIONS The Miami Hurricane is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press, Columbia Scholastic Press Association and Florida College Press Association.
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OPINION
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