THE FRESHMAN'S DILEMMA

At nine o'clock this morning in the New Lecture Hall the class of 1931 will receive its formal introduction to that most perplexing of Freshman problems--choosing a field of concentration. The mechanics of enrolling in a chosen field, the outlines of the tutorial and divisional examination system, and certain general principles to be followed in making this most important of academic decisions will be presented to the assembled Freshmen.

This annual concentration meeting is an essential and very valuable preliminary to the process of picking future fields of study which will engross the Freshman mind for the next month. But it is only a preliminary. Consultations, advice, decisions, reconsiderations, and more decisions will follow each other in rapid succession until five o'clock on May 2 and the threat of a five dollar fine finally bring the doubtful to a decision.

The process of choosing a field of concentration fortunately, however, does not end here. Many Freshmen with no strong predilections one way or another are forced to make a blind choice between they know not what. A few of these will spend two years feeling vaguely that all is not well, until they suddenly realize in their Senior year that History instead of Anthropology is the field for their particular talents, or that their real interest lies in Fine Arts rather than Economics. Many more, however, will try one field, find out what the tutorial system really is, and before the end of their Sophomore year discover something suited to their tastes.

The dangers involved in having students determine their entire college careers on the scanty experience of the Freshman year would, indeed, be far from imaginary were it not for the latitude allowed Sophomore and Junior malcontents.