Category Archives: Certificates

How to be a pre-health Spanish major

One of the first things that you learn as a pre-health student in university is that you can major in whatever you want, as long as you complete the pre-requisites for graduate schools. While this is 100% accurate, a lot of students do not take advantage of this because it can be difficult to manage the pre-requisite STEM courses while also balancing the requirements of a completely unrelated major.

However, difficult ? impossible. I am a senior pre-dental student at Umass, where I am finishing dual degrees in biology and Spanish, a minor in Portuguese, and the Spanish & Health Certificate. I have learned a lot along the way, and want to share my experience with other pre-health students who are considering majoring in Spanish, or any other non-STEM major.

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The Spanish and Portuguese department wants you to succeed

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At UMass, I am in an interesting position of being a part of two very different colleges. One is CNS for my biology major, and the other is HFA for my Spanish major. Beyond the obvious differences within the classes and material, over the past three years I have been able to observe some wild differences between the advisors and professors. In CNS, it can be very difficult to make a connection with my teachers, as in the majority of my classes, I am one of two hundred students sitting in a lecture hall. When I first came to UMass, I had not yet declared a Spanish major, and was unable to enroll in any classes before all the seats were taken by upperclassmen. For this reason, all of my first experiences with my professors were within CNS and therefore extremely distant. Once I began taking classes within the Spanish and Portuguese department, I was shocked at how willing some of the professors and advisors are to help you find what you truly love. Within this department, there are truly genuine people who want you to succeed and will help to get you to your goals. Continue reading →

Student Bridges Motivates

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My first year on this campus was complicated. I quit my job of two years because it got old and I didn’t feel like I belonged there anymore. I left another job because of mistreatment, which I had never experienced before I came to this campus. I joined house council which I loved! And I found a home with Mullins Concessions where I have been for a year. As for sophomore year it has also been very complicated. I was so sure that when I came into this year next fall I would be spending a semester in Spain and I was going to write about how amazing I hoped it would be and how I was going to live with this great family and what I would stress about. Well, it turns out I do not have the time in my schedule to spend a semester abroad, so now I will write about my experience with Student Bridges. Continue reading →

The Versatility of the Spanish Major

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If you’re a Spanish major you’re likely familiar with the question, “Oh, so are you going to teach or interpret?” In fact, you may have been asked that question so many times that you start to believe teaching and interpreting are your only options. My focus started to narrow to interpreting or teaching just a few weeks into starting college, largely because of this question. By the end of my second semester, I had decided on medical interpreting and enrolled in Spanish interpreting classes. Interpreting seemed like a good option given the current job market and average salary but at the same time, I just wasn’t sold. While I find the level of skill and language proficiency of interpreters admirable, I could tell it wasn’t the professional field for me. I also already knew I had no interest in being a teacher so I was left feeling like my choice in major was pointless. Continue reading →