After consulting with several researchers, friends, and family, I've decided to change my major from Geography to Oceanography (with a coursework focus in physical oceanography and a research focus on polar oceanography).
This decision was made urgently, but not lightly. I'll have to do almost all of the beginning science core classes, and this will mean that I'll be at UW for not only a summer quarter, but an entire fifth year. However, I and several others believe that my previous path hasn't really been challenging me, and that studying a hard, observational science like Oceanography would not only provide a strong academic challenge, but would provide a vital outlet for my already existing skills in GIS and remote sensing, place me in one of the top departments at UW (and one of the top 3 oceanography schools in the nation), and connect me with numerous researchers and opportunities in the department as well as at the UW Polar Science Center that are at the top of their fields and are tackling problems in which I have a strong personal interest.
I know that what is basically starting over may feel tedious at first, but that is a small price to pay for opening a world of academic meaning and an incredible community to me.
