i'm not in college yet.. but i will be very soon.

and i really don't know what to major in... and most of the schools' applications that i'm applying to ask for intended major and i have no clue what to put.

my parents want me to consider becoming a pharmacist.. because it pays good money and there isn't as much competition as other jobs.


i recently started showing interest in political science/government. however i mean VERY RECENTLY.
i never really had an interest in current events, therefore i am ignorant in most of our country's affairs. i don't know the controversy with the whole health care reform and i don't really know how the government works.

but i WANT to learn...

but i was wondering.. will being completely ignorant of all current events and the political system hurt me if i go into college as a political science major? do they expect you to know these things beforehand?

also, how competitive is political science? are there a lot of jobs available for this major?

thanks in advance!

I guess it varies depending on the school's program. Generally, you have to be updated with current events since this field involves a lot of case studies. You don't have to know everything but having a good grasp of what's going on will help a lot. I'd say Political Science is quite a competitive major. Topics in this field has a lot of gray areas, so expect some debate, policy formulation and research writing.

Honestly, for the first two years I was in politics the majority was past events. You will have to read all the big political theory writers (Locke, Rosseau, e.t.c).

If your school holds tutorials (smaller weekly meeting) then people in tutorial may discuss more current events but you are free to ask questions/usually they will provide a little overview.

I would not stress over it to much.

Try taking a political science course and see if you'd like it. I was a political science major but now am something different. Don't feel like you have to push yourself to choose. Choose something that you enjoy and will love to do twenty yrs from now.

Agreed.

I don't even stay up to date with current events - but the thing is, depending on what kind of poli sci courses you take, you might be stuck in the past through the whole quarter/semester in that class. Sometimes professors may mention current events (may relate to the past), but really, it's not that big a deal. Sometimes professors will even require you to do some research (for papers and the like) and relate it to current events. It's not difficult because you don't have to know everything.

And trust me, poli sci is much easier than a history class, imo. There's a lot less to remember in each course. Political theory is really important because you'll not only the "what" and "when", but the "why" and "how". And honestly, the "why" and "how" is actually the most important aspects politics. It will all make sense once you actually take political science courses. However, usually the introductory courses are more history-based, while the deeper, major-related classes are more interesting and in-depth.

I guess to sum it up, you would be studying/learning about why things happen the way they do, which professors kind of use to help you understand why politics in the world (i.e. international relations) are so complex.

I do!

As freshmen, professors don't really expect so much of you. However, you should know a thing or two about government if you are a political science major.

I didn't really thought over my course. Which is bad in a way.

But I think I made the right choice.

My Political Science professor helps us a lot in concepts we don't understand. As she has said, a political scientist is made; not born. You can really learn if you want too. *wink*

I am a political science major right now and I love it. It is challenging because there is a lot of current events and history and debates but if you are into that kind of stuff it's fine. It depends what kind of professor you have. Some are easier than others. In the higher classes though knowing what is going on definitely helps especially if you take seminar classes where participation is a MUST! but try taking a course. If you're still a freshman there is no need to rush.

I am about the give you the best advice you'll ever get in your life. It's nice that you want to discover yourself in college, but pick a real major that requires real effort (i.e. advanced math/calculus). Your future self will thank you.

Now, how many philosophy, art, music, pol sci, history, and English majors did I just upset?