As an English major with a creative writing concentration, freshman Sophia Heller says it’s important to be knowledgeable about a variety of subjects. The College of Arts and Sciences gives her that opportunity, whether it’s taking a class in Slavic studies or theatre.
Sophia Heller
Every piece of knowledge is valuable when you’re writing because as a writer you kind of have to know a little bit of everything to keep your plausibility.
Sophia Heller
Heller was admitted to the College as a Direct Admit Scholar in Physics, but switched to English when she decided that major would be a better fit.
“There’s so much flexibility within the College,” she says.
As a Direct Admit, Heller was exposed to opportunities to enrich her academic experience, and that’s how she learned about the English Honors Program. Beyond her English studies, Heller’s academic interests span far and wide. She is enrolled in dance classes, helped design costumes for IU Theatre’s production Machinal, and is considering adding a second major in computer science.
“I love interdisciplinary things. One of my novels I’m trying to write is very physics-based,” she says. “Theoretically, since we’ve just detected G-Waves (gravitational waves), why not jump forward a bit and say we can manipulate them now?”
What ties all of her interests together? The ability to express herself in a creative way, whether it’s through writing, dance, or design. Her interests in both the arts and sciences mesh well together, she says.
“The arts and sciences really do overlap way more than one might think, and it’s really fascinating,” she says.
Heller advises other students to follow her lead and explore the variety of courses and opportunities offered within the College.
“Not limiting yourself to one specific thing is a really great way to go into college because you will stumble upon things you didn’t even know you liked, because you didn’t know they existed,” she says.