Finding My Niche in the Sciences: The Information Science Major

This week, senior Meg Shigeta talks about how the breadth of the Arts & Sciences course roster allowed her to explore different fields as an underclassmen until she found her home in the Information Science department. Enjoy!

By: Meg Shigeta '17, Information Science major, Business minor

When I first entered Cornell as a freshman in the fall of 2013, I had very little idea what it was I wanted to study. I was the epitome of an undecided undergraduate, and I was nervous that this lack of direction would set me back somehow, make me less of a real student compared to my friends who had planned the next twenty years of their lives out seemingly overnight. However, I now realize that where I was lost, the College of Arts & Sciences was able to step in and point me in the right direction. The curriculum of Arts & Sciences allowed me to take a wide range of courses, each of which slowly led me to my area of study today. Just what subject is that? Well, let me take you on a little trip.

As a freshman, one of the first classes I took was called SOC 3010: Evaluating Statistical Evidence. It was a class I found unexpectedly, and ended up being one of my favorites of the semester. After taking this class I decided to explore more sociology courses, and took SOC 1101: Introduction to Sociology. Because I also felt more aligned with the “Sciences” part of the College, I was able to take MATH 2130: Calculus III during this time as well. Even though I was still undecided, my diverse course load helped me fulfill my Arts & Sciences graduation requirements, and slowly led me towards figuring out just what it was I wanted to major in.

After taking these courses, I realized that what I wanted to study was this middle ground between human systems and information systems. After speaking to friends and advisors about my new interests, I decided to try taking some classes in Information Science. As a result, when I returned to Cornell as a sophomore in the fall of 2014, I decided to take INFO 1300: Introductory Design and Programming for the Web, and after that there was no looking back.

  Today, I will be graduating as an Information Science major, and plan to further pursue additional education in Information Science after I finish my undergraduate career. I am so grateful to have found this major, and I don’t think that I would have discovered it had it not been for the myriad of classes I took in a variety of departments my freshman year, each of which slowly helped me to discover just what it was I was truly passionate about. So yes, I may be that cliché student who started out as an undecided freshman four years ago, but do I regret it? Not one bit.