Visit a lunch table of Class II students and listen carefully. Eventually, you’ll hear the questions start to fly around: “Where are you applying,” “Do you think you’ll get in,” and ultimately, “What are you going to major in?” No matter the age, this question can feel attached to some greater stressor, like answering it will somehow change the way you live the rest of your life. The future can be scary and uncertain, and thoughts about college preparation pervade Nobles. However, according to graduates, this school prepares students well in their search for a college major.
For freshmen, thoughts of a future college major exist but feel like a distant trouble. “I’ve thought about [college majors] a little bit, but haven’t followed up with any of it,” Sanjit Govindarajan (Class IV) said. He has enjoyed his humanities classes so far, but to him, it would feel premature to come to a decision too early. “I want to get a full experience and perspective on everything first,” he said. However, he is confident that this experience will come by following Nobles’ curriculum. “The teachers here know how to teach you and what to teach you. I’m sure that later on, I will gain a more wholesome understanding of different topics so that I can figure out what I’m interested in pursuing in the future,” Govindarajan said.
To some, however, this experience comes outside Nobles’ class schedule. “Being exposed to robotics through Robotics Club[…]made me want to focus on engineering in college,” Raphael Klauber (Class III) said. The flexibility of a club setting spoke to Klauber, as it allowed him personalization that he didn’t find in the classroom. “I enjoy making things on my own. It’s my own creation. [In class] you don’t design your own materials the same way we do in the club,” he said. To him, the experience of the robotics club ignited a passion that he hopes will continue for years.
“Being exposed to robotics through Robotics Club[…]made me want to focus
on engineering in college.”
Others are influenced by forces outside Nobles, primarily parents. “My parents are business people. They influenced me to pursue economics in college,” Kailynn Zheng (Class II) said. Their influence on her stemmed from a reliance on them for information. “I didn’t have any knowledge of majors. And then my mom said that I would be a successful businessperson,” Zheng said. Although parents often attempt to involve themselves in choosing their child’s college major, some students have avoided this influence. “My dad wanted me to major in electrical engineering. But I didn’t want to do that,” Ben Owusu-Amo (N ’24) said.
Instead, he decided to focus on math, inspired by a passion ignited by Nobles’ math curriculum. “My junior and senior year math courses had good teachers that influenced my decision [to pursue math in college],” he said. Many students follow this pattern, building a complete knowledge of all the areas of study that Nobles has to offer before committing to a future major based on what appeals to them most. “Coming into junior year I had no idea what to study in college. Then I took Dr. Craft’s Physics class and really enjoyed it, and I decided that was what I wanted to major in,” Nico Brown (Class I) said.
In addition to favorite classes at Nobles dictating a student’s major, they prepare them well for their future studies. “After I decided to major in economics– a little bit inspired by Mr Day’s classes senior year I felt almost overprepared. Compared to Nobles, college is fun,” Michael Timmins (N ’24) said. Owusu-Amo agreed that Nobles set students up well for their college major. “Nobles teaches you the basics of what you need to know. College is all about applying it,” he said.
“Compared to Nobles, college is fun.”
Despite anxious thoughts about college majors and possible careers, students can rest assured about their futures. Graduates find passions at Nobles that they pursue in their higher education and beyond.
