Imaan Zaheer is a political science major at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. Read on to learn more about Imaan's experience.
Hi! My name is Imaan Zaheer and I am a third-year political science major. I chose political science because I wanted to explore more about our government system, but also how policy and philosophy intertwine with it.
I love my major because of the versatility it allows me to explore. I came to Illinois with the idea of a pre-law track, and while I remain on that track, I've realized over time that I will learn more about the legal field when I am in law school. Once I came to that realization, I was easily able to switch to a general concentration where I could take a wider variety of classes. The thing that I struggled with the most was having to take classes in a narrow category. By switching, I can take classes that fall under different concentrations, such as Justice in the Law, Politics of the Internet, and Political Research.
These three classes illustrate how wide a category political science is. I also love my major because the classes tap into all my interests. Every semester, the professors who are engaging in research host an event where students can come ask questions about their research and gain insights into what they are doing. I know some students who have even had opportunities come out of those events.
Furthermore, I love my major because of the diversity of opinion it fosters, genuinely allowing for room for interpretation and different perspectives. I also enjoy it because it allows me to change my own perspective and point of view. I used to be very set in my opinion, but I believe I have learned to critically think and assess my own perspective.
Finally, my major has taught me open-mindedness, making me more willing to reconsider my opinions and articulate my reasoning clearly. Although there is a significant amount of reading and writing, the courses I've enjoyed the most emphasize discussion, and these conversations with my classmates have truly broadened my perspective.