When people ask me where I go to school, their follow up question is usually, “Oh, so you play music?”
Um, no.
As repetitive as this question has become, I’ve found that there are still some benefits to going to Belmont even when you aren’t a music major.
1. Smaller departments and programs. If you aren’t studying music, there’s a pretty good chance that your degree program is on the smaller side. This means that there are less students and less professors in your department. Believe me when I say, this can be nice.
2. You get to know your professors. Because I’m part of a smaller department, I’ve had the same professors multiple times. This has allowed me to get to know the professors and how they work. Not only do I feel as though I can communicate with them when I need to, but I also know what they expect and how they run their classes. This comes in handy around test time when you aren’t left guessing about test formatting.
3. You get to know your classmates. Just like with professors, you also have classes with a lot of the same people. This is a nice perk when you have group projects or miss class and need to borrow notes. Besides that, you make friends and get to really know your peers.
4. Registering for classes tends to be easier. Because there are not as many people vying for the same classes, registration tends to be easier. And because you know your professors, if something doesn’t work out, it’s easier to communicate with them about how to fix it. I’ve registered four times now, and every time I’ve ended up with all my first pick classes.
5. There are lots of opportunities to get involved. I’ve found that my department offers lots of ways to get involved and they make sure we are constantly being updated about new internships and job openings. There’s always someone willing to help you as you figure out what you want to do.
6. Cool musicians visit campus and you get to see them just because. I can’t say music is my favorite thing on earth, but JoJo came to campus last semester and that was pretty exciting! Sometimes it’s fun being around the music, all the cool artists and industry people that drop by campus.
7. You’re always a surprise! In the words of nursing major Katie M, “It’s like being a rare golden egg.” Most people are thrown off when they ask you what your major is and you don’t reply “music business” or “songwriting.” Finding someone else with your major isn’t always easy, but when you do, it’s really exciting!
So next time you’re sitting on the lawn, surrounded by people with guitars, wondering why on earth you moved 9 hours away to attend a school that isn’t even known for your major, remember that there are some pretty awesome perks of being a non-music major at a music school.
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