If Majors Were Movie Characters

Before our favorite movie characters were sources of full-blown fandom, they were just simple students like you and me (OK, maybe not all of them). Superman majored in risk management, Andrea Sachs of The Devil Wears Prada studied fashion and Terry Hoitz and Allen Gamble of The Other Guys obviously majored in criminal justice. Although everyone knows that Tony Stark didn’t graduate college because he was bored, even he had an academic start. Here’s a list of the characters that might share your major.

Business—Jordan Belfort (Wolf of Wall Street)

You were born to work numbers, you live to make money and blowing that cash on ridiculous expenditures is just a perk of the trade. While these extreme descriptors fit well with The Wolf of Wall Street’s Jordan Belfort, they also describe all of you collegiate-level business majors (though your crazy expenditures might be kegs and $5 beer pitchers). With your stock savvy, the thought of turning profit for business drives you. Professional relationships with your business partners are important, but you’re not afraid to have a millionaire-sized good time.

Nursing—Leonard McCoy (Star Trek)

“Dammit man I’m pre-med, not a nuclear physicist.” If you’ve ever found yourself telling this to a course instructor during office hours, then you might be a dead ringer for Star Trek’s Leonard McCoy. College requirements have you stuck in lecture halls, but your people skills and genuine compassion for future patients keep you motivated. Sometimes that passion has you trying to accomplish the impossible at the request of your crazed space commander—I mean, professor. The hard hours suck, but they’ll be worth it once the Star Ship Enterprise runs into a Klingon fleet. Better bring the first aid kit.

Psychology—The Joker (The Dark Knight)

You’re enthralled by the mind and you love digging around inside people’s heads to find out how they think. The Joker shines a light on why psychology students enjoy probing questions. You won’t be telling patients how you got your scars, but you’ll definitely be asking how they acquired theirs. With those questions, you’ll help others think deeply about themselves and challenge their minds. The best psychologists don’t do it for the money, they do it to send a message. A message that whatever doesn’t kill you makes you…stranger .

English—Jack Torrance (The Shining)

Jack Torrance started out as an average enough person: writer, family man, sudden creepy hotel owner. Totally normal. Like most English majors, however, Jack experienced a craze that English students feel too often: a wave of enthusiasm to write the greatest piece ever. Then, a few classes later that same brilliant paper is ripped to shreds by a professor. Students can only be good enough for so long. The next few weeks sends them into a delusion filled with strange short stories about seeing dead things and bleeding light bulbs. In the end English majors survive, but there’s always the few ready to charge into class with an axe yelling “Here’s (Insert Name Here)!”

Anthropology—Indiana Jones (Indiana Jones)

Do you have your own theme music and a crisp leather whip? No? Then how about a love for studying ancient artifacts and peoples? If so, then you share a common interest with archaeological anthropologist Indiana Jones. While Indiana Jones might be the coolest of the cool, his looting habits highlight the good character of the rest of the world’s archaeologists in preserving and not stealing. Admittedly, Jones does get more (anthropological) action in the field than in the library, where most anthropology majors will spend their long research hours. Like his fellow anthropologists, Indiana Jones studies physical pieces of ancient history and determines what they meant to their people. If you’re adventurous and love the science of cultures, you should search the course catalogue for one of Jones’ classes.

Engineering—Batman (The Dark Knight)

Of course, if the Joker has made an appearance, then Batman won’t be far behind. The Dark Knight shares a lot in common with engineering majors, aside from that whole billionaire bat thing. A mind for making the perfect gadget for the right situation? Check. A desire to make the world more efficient, especially in fighting crime? Possibly. However you decide to use your major to benefit the forces of good, your friendly neighborhood bat will appreciate it. If you really want to get on his good side, a new and improved LED high-efficiency halogen bat signal would do nicely.

Comm Arts—Carl Denham (King Kong)

And, action! Calling all communication arts students, time to check out Carl Denham’s skills with the camera. Your average film student might not be hunting for the best shot of a strange dinosaur world, but he is searching for the next big shot to change the odd world that we call home. Not only did Denham have some talent behind a camera, but he also managed to convince New Yorkers to see his new pet 15-story gorilla. Denham wasn’t a risk management major, so we’ll cut him some slack on that one. Film students, like Denham, have the drive to risk life and limb for the perfect shot. Just make sure your cinematic ambitions don’t end up destroying New York City.

Education—Professor Snape (Harry Potter)

Ugh, students. You can’t stand them, but your major and future career wouldn’t exist without them. Like Professor Snape, you love knowledge and imparting it on willing minds. On the flip side, you hate dealing with their ludicrous tomfoolery, like their pesky need to battle trolls or the occasional Dark Lord. But in the end, you care deeply for your students and will work hard to make them the best that they can be; starting with page 394.