Dear CRCers:Â
I'm a first-year. I thought I was going to concentrate in X, but after taking classes in the area last fall I'm going to move away from it. While I'm pretty sure I'm going to take A, B, C, and D classes, I'm feeling a little unsure if I'm going about figuring out my concentration in the right way. How do I decide what I'm going to do now?Â
Signed,Â
Floating First-Year
Congratulations! You've figured out something that you don't want to keep doing. That's good! Yes, planning for something else can be a bit tricky depending on what you're maybe going to concentrate in. Many standard concentrations are between 10-14 requirements, while some STEM concentrations have more like 15-20.Â
If you're thinking of choosing a STEM field, be sure to note the sequence of courses listed for the concentration. Many STEM concentrations share a similar set of basic requirements.
If you're considering an arts, humanities, or social science concentration, you'll notice more flexibility for when you complete the requirements. In fact, you probably could start the concentration requirements even in your sophomore year and still have plenty of time for doing electives.
With the shopping period over, concentration advisors will likely have more time to talk with you as a potential pre-concentrator. Email one of them and ask for a face-to-face meeting to learn more about the concentration. They may hand you a hard-copy checklist of courses and a suggested sequence for completing them; the advisor can also suggest courses to be sure to take next fall. And, if you're considering perhaps designing an independent concentration, you should meet with one of the IC student coordinators to learn more about the process!
Bottom line, keep balancing exploring your options with courses you take, and getting information from concentration advisors (and DUG members) to help you plan ahead and figure things out!
CRCer Aryana wants to add:
I wanted to echo what was said above, and also let you know about a fantastic option on Focal Point! Many concentrations have a link to what alumni who graduated with that degree are doing a year and five years out from leaving Brown. It will show you that there is a lot of flexibility - you can do a lot with a degree that may not be specifically what you studied because of the general skills you'll cultivate over your time at college.Â
Finally, don't worry if you declare one thing as a sophomore and figure out you'd rather do something else later on - you can switch your concentration past your first declaration.