Who are you?
If there's one thing that I've learned when talking to people about your major (being physics), it's that your audience better be scientifically oriented. Or else, they don't fucking care! [laughs]
Case in point:
When talking to English Teacher #1:
"What's your major?"
"Physics!"
"Why don't you major in photography instead? You took lots of pretty photos senior year."
"[le sigh] -_- But it's not my passion!"
"Then what do you want to study?"
"Astrophysics! The stars, space, etc."
"That's a very depressing subject. Studying [objects] that you'll never grasp."
"Haha... It is. And it's even more depressing because the stars that you're seeing right now, the images you receive, might not be the same as when you saw them ten years ago because -- !"
"Y'know, I never really understood that stuff."
[Awkward silence]
When talking to English Teacher #2:
"What's your major?"
"Physics!"
"Oh. That's interesting. [pauses] So, how do you like Northampton?"
...which brings be to this anecdote. On the daily show today, one of the reporters was looking for a job. He interviews a man who will help him with this. Thinking that he is really aiding the reporter, the man asks, "So, what are some of your positive attributes? What are things that you are good at?" The daily show correspondent goes, "Well, I'm good at satirical interviews that makes you, the interviewee, very embarrassed and I make the situation verrrrrrrrrry awkward." [Silence] "What I'm not good at is handling the awkwardness that ensues." [Longer period of silence]
I can definetely top that. I should get my bachelors and be the asian reporter for the Daily Show. Channel 5 News' top Asian reporter, Tricia Takanawa? No no - Wicky Chan, Daily Show's top Asian news correspondent/physics major, summoner of uncomfortable moments.
WHAT THE DEUCE!
I guess the main reason why I'm bummed is that people don't take me being a physics major seriously, almost as if they think I'm not smart enough, or that physics is just hodgepodge. I always get answers like the ever enthusiastic "WHAT!" and eyebrow raise when I tell them what I study. And I always have to explain *why* I choose physics and astrophysics. Other students don't get any questions when they respond with "biology", "history", or "english" - they receive a genuinely interested audience. It just wears you down, constantly trying to prove your worth, you know?
In retrospect, I shouldn't let comments like that affect me. I love physics. It's what I do. I like it because it explains the microscopic world as well as the macroscopic world. There are applications of physics everywhere you look! It's exciting, refreshing, and deeply introspective. And if someone doesn't respect my interests - even if I have to perpetually defend this - my course of action will not go awry.
I'm a physics major. Who are you?