The average Vanderbilt freshmen was either born knowing their college major, or switched their major 5+ times since coming here. No matter which side you fall on, we’ve got the details on the vibes and dare I say, stereotypes(?!) of your current or desired major.
Participants in this survey either had the option to be named with their initials or use “Anonymous” to describe themselves. Please note that this article is purely for comedic purposes; the best major for you is based on a variety of factors, none of which are rooted in the clichés about your major.
Curious to know what your fellow campus companions really think about your academic path? Read on to find out.
Art
“Art majors are cool. I think that they’re insanely talented. And while I am not personally in tune with the fine arts world, I love to see people share their talents and the effort they put into their work.” – S.E. ’27
“You’d excel in HOD.” -Anonymous
Asian Studies
“K-Pop stans who want to study abroad in Korea.” -D.T. ’24
“Likes Asian food, but can’t use chopsticks.” -Anonymous
Biological Sciences
“Goody two shoes, golden child, extreme organizational skills, but sort of regrets their major.” -B.M. ’26
“Turn back now.” -A.C. ’25
Biomedical Engineering
“Having fun on the weekends? Never heard of it.” -Anonymous
“The cause of the future robot uprising.” -J.Y. ’27
Chemical Engineering
“It’s giving Breaking Bad.” -S.L. ’25
“Get a life.” -I.H. ’25
Chemistry
“They spend all their time in Stevenson library.” -E.G. ’27
“Overachievers” -I.H. ’27
“I hate chemistry.” -I.D. ’25
“Students draw one Lewis structure and think they’re Pablo Picasso.” -B.S. ’27
“Who signed up for these classes willingly?” -H.M. -27
“The people in physical chemistry are the only people not getting physical.” -T.S. ’24
Child Development
“You peaked in elementary school.” -M.M. ’27
Child Studies
“Simpler times.” -S.B. ’27
“Preparing to have 8 children.” -Anonymous
“Better not move to Texas.” -Anonymous
Cinema and Media Arts
“Ok, I’m a bit biased as a CMA minor, but I think that we’re okay. There’s a stereotype abt film bros, which def exist and are very annoying, but mostly it’s just people who like watching movies and maybe want to work in the field. It’s chill.” -S.E. ’27
“Social and extroverted.” -B.S. ’27
Civil Engineering
“All about bridges.” -C.C. ’26
“Glorified architects.” -B.M. ’27
“I don’t even know what they do.” -I.H. ’27
“Party planner but for cities.” -Anonymous
Classical and Mediterranean Studies
“Stuck in the past.” -G.C. ’25
“Never grew out of their Percy Jackson phase.” -K.M. ’27
“The lead-up to a philosophy major.” -M.G. ’24
Climate Studies
“Social justice warrior.” -Anonymous
“The sweetest people who have no aim in life.” -C.L. ’27
Communication of Science and Technology- CSET
“Basically doing the work that scientists can’t.” -B.S. ’27
“Scientists with social skills.” -Y.D. ’27
“Want to be Hank Green.” -G.G. ’24
Communication Studies
“How did you get into Vanderbilt?” -Anonymous
“You came to do no work.” -S.N. ’25
“Just another name for HOD.” -Anonymous
“Congratulations- you can communicate.” -Anonymous
“You have to go to college to learn how to talk to people.” -A.S. ’24
Computer Science
“Comp sci people tend to be more nerdy/introverted” -B.S. ’27
“They talk to computers more than they talk to other people.” -Anonymous
Economics
“Either a frat bro or a math nerd. No in-between.” -Anonymous
“Say you’re in Greek life without saying you’re in Greek life.” -Anonymous
Elementary Education
“You like children a little bit too much.” -P.D. ’27
“Glorified baby-sitter.” -Anonymous
English
“People that write long letters and seal them in a wax stamp. They go to slam poetry a lot.” -B.M. ’26
“Why would you major in English? You speak it.” -Anonymous
Environmental Sociology
“Vegans.” -E.S.
“Sorority girls.” -A.W. ’24
“What the hell is that?” -B.S. ’27
French
“Oui, oui- baguettes!” -M.S. ’26
“The Eiffel Tower is all you got going.” -Anonymous
History
“You either want to be broke, a teacher… or both.” -L.C. ’27
“Historian or history teacher- one or the other.” -Anonymous
Human Organizational Development – HOD
“Your biggest struggle in the day is coloring.” -B.M. ’27
“You breathe for 3 seconds instead of 4 and suddenly you’re failing.” -L.G. ’24
“Don’t need to use more than 3 brain cells.” -E.S. ’26
“The people that thought they could avoid the business jokes, but in fact, made themselves more of a joke.” -G.A. ’27
Jazz Studies
“They just play scales.” -I.H. ’26
“Pointless.” -Anonymous
“Careless whisper… iykyk.” -C.L. ’27
Mathematics
“They kind of scare me, but at the same time I’m really impressed by them because you need to really have an appreciation for math while being certain that that’s what you want to do. I haven’t met many mathematics majors, but I think that speaks to how smart you have to be to declare your major as mathematics.” -G.M. ’26
Medicine, Health, and Society
“Extra for what?” -H.F. ’25
“Dream about being a doctor but in reality won’t do anything in life.” -Anonymous
“The HOD of science.” -B.S. ’27
Molecular and Cellular Biology
“Doin’ too much. Overachiever. You’re a wannabe Bill Nye.” -G.A. ’27
“They have a lease for Stevenson.” -Anonymous
“Lemme guess? You’re pre-med.” -Anonymous
Music Composition
“They think that they’re gonna be the next Mozart.” -Anonymous
“You’re gonna be a music education teacher.” -A.M. ’24
Music Performance
“You were definitely in high school band.” -Anonymous
“Which one’s worse? Band kid or choir kid. Answer- both.” -V.S. ’27
Neuroscience
“If you’re anything but a doctor, you’re a disappointment.” -E.C. ’27
“Maybe consider studying what’s wrong with your brain.” -Anonymous
Philosophy
“Congratulations- you can think.” -B.S. ’27
“Making friends with the thoughts in your head.” -A.P. ’25
“How do you know you’re taking philosophy?” -N.W. ’24
Physics
“NASA wannabes.” -L.C. ’27
“It’s math but with a fancier name.” -A.M. ’27
“All pain and suffering. All of it.” -C.L. ’24
Political Science
“They all join the Honor Council.” -B.S. ’27
“Know-it-alls.” -Anonymous
“They are triggered by everything.” -Y.D. ’27
Psychology
“They tend to never have any assignments due, and are very relaxed. Sometimes they’ll try to examine how I think and apply what they learned in class, even when it’s everyday things like being a little sad.” -Anonymous
“They don’t want to face their own feelings.” -C.A. ’27
Public Policy Studies
“The people who aren’t really doing anything but just want to travel the world.” -Anonymous
“They’re trying to make a difference. Just plant a freaking tree.” -I.H. ’27
Religious Studies
“I feel like the people in there don’t really have a religion. So I question why they’re even in the major.” -Anonymous
“Dedicating your life to studying a man that doesn’t exist.” -Anonymous
Secondary Education
“Peaked in high school.” -Anonymous
“You learn about how good school could be, just to be bullied by the system.” -H.M. ’27
Sociology
“I feel like people who study sociology are underrated, like their major. It’s really interesting actually, and requires a deep understanding of social issues, statistics, and economics. Sociologists are pretty cool people to have conversations with because of all of that.” -R.R. ’27
“Sociology majors in my opinion tend to be less in numbers so IMO it’s hard to meet them (maybe I’m just not looking hard enough), but whenever I do, I find that they’re well-informed about concepts or issues I care about.” -L.M. ’26
Spanish
“I haven’t met many Spanish majors; most people I’ve met in that department are either really passionate about the language and tend to be bilingual themselves, or they are aiming for a career that needs/requires/heavily relies on Spanish as a language. In general, I think pursuing the study of a whole language is really impressive as it’s not just a matter of overall sentence structure, but the cultural nuances that come with the language itself.” -L.M ’26
“No me gusta.” -C.G. ’26
Theatre
“I have a couple friends who are theatre majors and even though we make jokes about it being a useless major, I really admire them for pursuing their passion. Most theatre majors I’ve encountered, including my friends, are also very artistic, creative, and expressive which I also really admire.” -G.M. ’26
“Join a club, not a major.” -Anonymous
“You’re on Broadway, whether it’s on the stage or on the street.” -W.B. ’24
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In Conclusion
Whether you entered Vanderbilt with a crystal-clear major or have danced through multiple choices, this article has explored the vibes and stereotypes surrounding your current or aspiring field of study. Remember, the insights shared here are all in good humor, and your ideal major is determined by a unique blend of factors that go beyond stereotypes.
Until next time … peace!