Freshman orientation at Mount Holyoke College: you enter a huge room with hundreds of passionate, intelligent women and realize you have no idea what the next four years will bring. First year is the perfect time to explore your options, take plenty of intro level courses, and try to figure out what you actually want to do with your time at school. You try everything from painting to chemistry, but eventually, the excitement wears off and you realize that you can’t stay in 100-level classes forever.
I spent hours pouring over the course catalog trying to pick a major (preferably one that I had fulfilled a requirement or two for), before landing on the perfect course of action for me. I decided to go to Mount Holyoke for its prestigious liberal arts education, which I am sure influenced my decision to become an Environmental Studies major with a concentration in Politics and Policy Making. Environmental Studies at MountHolyoke combines classes from the natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences to allow for a comprehensive view on environmental issues. The major is 48 credits, including a concentration, which you have in lieu of a minor.
The Environmental Studies program at Mount Holyoke College is made up of an incredible faculty who has researched everything from wetland ecology to the impacts of the American political system on the environment. Their expertise and passion translates to the classroom, where students are challenged to take a comprehensive look atenvironmental issues today. Environmental problems are inherently of an interdisciplinary nature, and as an ES major, I have the opportunity to challenge my views and hone my critical thinking skills. I came to Mount Holyoke looking for a liberal arts education, and I found the perfect liberal arts major in Environmental Studies.