Anisha Joshi has a deep interest in media, arts and sociology
Students in Duke Kunshan’s undergraduate degree program declare a major toward the end of their second year, providing them the time to explore a diverse range of interests. Anisha Joshi ’22 from Kathmandu, Nepal, explains her reasons for choosing cultures and movements (sociology track).
What major did you have in mind when you enrolled at DKU?
When I enrolled, I was looking forward to majoring in media and arts. I’d studied art and design in high school, and it was something that gave me a lot of joy. Although the media and arts courses I took at DKU were more focused on filmmaking, I found I could still apply a lot of what I had learned from expressing myself through painting to the videos I made.
What DKU courses do you feel have had the largest impact on you?
ARHU102 Interpretation of Images and Sound, which I took in my first year, was wonderful. I chose this course when I still thought I’d be majoring in media and arts. I loved it because we studied the different ways artists and filmmakers express their thoughts and views about the world. We also had the opportunity to apply the concepts we learned in our own projects. I also really enjoyed MEDIART101 for similar reasons, as we explored larger ways in which the media effects society.
LIT102 Intro to Literary Theory, which I took at the start of my second year, was an eye-opener because we explored different ways of understanding literature and society, from the perspective of discourse to orientalism. I took this course because I wanted to switch out of a course that I felt I would not enjoy as much, and while I love literature, I had no idea what to expect. It ended up being a very happy surprise.
Although these courses weren’t required for the major I’ve declared, I still really appreciate what I learned, because through them I learned different and overlapping ways of understanding the world and society. Even now when I’m taking classes more focused on my major, what I learned from those many different classes has given me a broader perspective.
When did you start considering alternative majors?
It was a gradual thing, but I made the decision around the end of the fall semester in my second year, so it was a little stressful. I would say that around fall I started questioning what ways I wanted to make an impact in society. If I had the choice to double major in media and arts and sociology, I would have, but I decided that I could study sociology for now and pursue my interest in media and arts in other ways in the future. My academic advisor, professor James Miller, was really supportive, and he helped me figure out how I could make this work despite making the switch late.
What were the main reasons behind your decision to major in cultures and movements?
I declared cultures and movements (sociology track) because, through the different courses I have taken at DKU, I’ve found that I enjoy learning about society. The path I am thinking of right now is to apply to graduate school because, honestly, the job market petrifies me, and it means I can pursue my academic interests more deeply. So I think I will be killing two birds with one stone by learning more while delaying the inevitable.
What do you feel are the benefits of a liberal arts education?
I really like that although I ended up switching majors, I don’t think what I learned in the classes prior will be pointless. I am not entirely sure what I want to do in the future, but I have been contemplating a career in journalism, because I think it offers a nice intersection of my different interests in writing, media and sociology. The different courses I’ve taken at DKU have definitely helped me come to this decision.
Find out more about Duke Kunshan’s undergraduate degree program.
