Fairmont State University - Mound Yearbook (Fairmont, WV)

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Changing a major: ' It just wasn ' t me or what I wanted to do ' Changing a major is nothing new to many college students. It certainly is not new to me. At the start of my freshman year I was majoring in the field of education. I went through the classes required of all education students for two and a half semesters before it hit me that I didn ' t want to teach. It just wasn ' t me or what I wanted to do. So, by simply talking with Dr. Peters, I switched over to business, a major I was sure was right for me. Before I made the big switch, I went through some terrifying experiences, such as realizing I had practically wasted a year and a half of my time in classes that had nothing to do with my new major. But even without the credits toward my major, I realized that these classes had offered me something more important — experience in college education. I had matured over my freshman year so that I had a better idea of what I wanted to do with my life. Choosing a major is no small matter, considering that I was deciding what to do with the rest of my life. That ' s a long time and I guess that ' s why it took me a long time, a year and a half, to make up my mind. Now, I am satisfied with my classes and am looking forward to a career in business. TOP: Cathy Williams completes a graphics assignment. LEFT: Graphics major Betty Neely works on an outside painting project. OPPOSITE PAGE — Fine Arts Building in winter. 17

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Apartment life versus dorm life: In both places I ' ve found the harmony I need It was hard to imagine not being around people all the time after this had been my experience for a year while living in a dorm. I wanted my independence and moving into an apartment seemed to be the best way. I didn ' t realize that there is a type of loneliness that goes along with this independence. There were no longer people around me that I could turn to all the time, I had to look for companionship. I was no longer in a situation where I was forced to meet people, I had to start doing it on my own. Walking on campus, I would pass people I had lived with for a year; but now everyone I knew was doing his own thing and it became difficult to just get together sometime. College began again to seem like high school where the only way you met people was in class. Classes became more of a social gathering for me as I realized that this would be the only place where new friendships could arise. After living in an apartment for a while, I came to realize that I could do things on my own. I no longer needed continually to be surrounded by people to be secure; I found security in myself. Now I have the satisfaction of knowing that I can live not only with other people but with myself. I know that others will be there, when I need them; but I will always be here, too, to help myself, to rely on my own abilities. After experiencing dorm life and apartment life, I now know that I have a harmony of me, a harmony of people. ABOVE: Fred Miller unpacks in his Pence Hall room. RIGHT. Scott Wright and Kathy Connor meet in the Nickel for a coke and some conversation. 18