As much as I love being a political science major, I knew once I committed to the discipline that quite a few people would come to me with snarky comments about my decision. Since the United States is more politically polarized than ever, it is no surprise that telling people I am studying politics results in some pretty extreme reactions.
I have no problem talking about why I am interested in studying political science. I find the field genuinely fascinating and love analyzing how politics in this country and abroad changed through time. However, I could survive without the numerous questions that I am asked over and over again when I mention my major.
1. "So how do we fix this country?"
The problems in this country are multilayered and complicated. Although I study politics, I do not exactly know how to fix something that is, in my opinion, quite broken.
2. "Who is going to win the presidential election?"
Just because I am interested in politics, that doesn't mean I am constantly doing statistical analysis on data from recent polls. The short answer is: I have no idea.
3. "Your dad is probably a senator, right?"
Personally, none of my family is involved in politics as a career, and the majority of my relatives are not politically active whatsoever. My interest in the field is my own.
4. "Which law schools are you applying to?"
Not every political science major has to be a lawyer, and not all lawyers studied political science during their undergraduate career.
5. "So you just want to be another corrupt politician?"
Again, there are many potential careers for political science majors. Most of us actually do not plan on being "corrupt" politicians, but instead want to do our part to change the system.
6. "Do you actually think you're studying a real science?"
Of course, I often hear that my major does not matter because I am not studying a STEM field. Political science includes experiments, manipulating variables, statistics. It may not include Calculus, but it can still prove to be valuable.
7. "Are you a Republican or Democrat?"
Yes, the United States has a two-party system, but not everyone identifies with one of those two parties. And no, that does not mean someone who is part of a different party is automatically a communist.
8. "Do you like House of Cards?"
Actually, I feel asleep during the first episode.
To my fellow political science majors, it is okay to be frustrated with everyone's comments and questions about your major. Just know you'll be the one laughing at them when you're a big-shot economist, a lawyer, or the future president of the United States.
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