By Corina Mendoza
When you’re starting your freshman year of college, it’s normal to be super excited and convinced that your major is the best of them all. But then, two or three semesters go by, and you start regretting the major you picked. You hate your life, your classes, and everything your major represents. That’s completely normal, and it’s okay. So, if you need something to remind you why you fell in love with your major in the first place, you can watch one of these series and get excited about your career path again.
Mindhunter
Major: Psychology and its different specialties
Truths: Dealing with the human mind can be quite complex, and even with the proper training and professionalism, it can take you into a confusing vortex hard to get out.
Clichés: The eccentric investigator persona and the myth that psychologists are always analyzing you.
Similar series: Criminal Minds, In Treatment, Dexter, Lie to Me, Gypsy
Suits
Major: Law
Truths: Lawyers work in a world where appearances matter a lot. Their image is probably their strongest card, since it can play a huge role in the future of the case.
Clichés: All lawyers are lying tricksters.
Similar series: The Good Wife, The Practice, Boston Legal, Damages, Shark, Better Call Saul.
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Mad Men
Major: Advertising
Truths: The advertising world is aggressive and a huge part of the job consists of analyzing the consumer, so it’s true that a good publicist knows for sure your deepest secrets and strangest quirks.
Clichés: It’s not always glamorous, so don’t expect to be working in a fancy office full of strikingly good-looking people. In all probability, you’ll be working more from your email at a small rented office.
Similar series: The Crazy Ones, Trust Me, Mad About You
Project Runway
Major: Fashion Design
Truths: While fashion is all about beauty and glamour, it’s also about images and selling a lifestyle. Most people involved in the business will be rude, aggressive, and machiavellian, and won’t stop for anybody to reach their goals.
Clichés: Runways aren’t the only place where the fashion world works, that’s only the place where all the really hard work gets exposed.
Similar series: Veronica’s Closet, Velvet, Atelier, Lipstick Jungle
The Resident
Major: Medicine
Truths: A doctor must be willing to deal with a lot of stress and hard situations, even the death of their patients. This series can actually make you question if you have what it takes to deal with all this and become a great doctor.
Clichés: Relationships and affairs might be a reality in many hospitals, but it’s definitely not as pretty as these series tend to portray. Perhaps you will meet your SO in the operating room, but don’t get your hopes up, it’s best if you focus on your job.
Similar series: The Good Doctor, House M.D., Chicago Med, Scrubs, Mercy, Grey’s Anatomy, Combat Hospital, Complications.
Californication
Major: Creative Writing
Truths: A writer’s life can be really hard. Most likely, you’ll have an austere and challenging life. Maybe if you manage to find a winning plot formula, you’ll be one of the few successful authors who actually live from their books. But don’t feel bad, you can still have a good and fun life.
Clichés: The image of the writer as an alcoholic, drug addict, sex addict, and many other vices. In fact, there’s no such thing as a writer personality.
Similar series: Castle, Z: The Beginning of Everything, Girls, Black Books.
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Breaking Bad
Major: Chemistry
Truths: Chemistry is practically the basis of everything. Knowing how to apply it, you’ll discover an endless world of possibilities. However, it’s also true that it’s a very small circle.
Clichés: While it’s true that some scientists are in fact quite smart and sometimes reserved people, they don’t really have to be hitting rock bottom to exploit their potential. It’s also a huge cliché to think of scientists as social misfits who are only focused on their work.
Similar series: The Big Bang Theory, Física o Química.
House of Cards
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULwUzF1q5w4
Major: Political Science
Truths: Yes, to survive the wild world of politics you have to get your hands dirty, and anyone saying the opposite is just lying. Most people in the circle always have two intentions and are always looking for what’s best for them. It’s a hostile and tough world in which good intentions can be turned into greed.
Clichés: Sadly, most things in this series is true if not worse.
Similar series: Veep, The Wire, The Crown, The Kennedys, Secret State, Political Animals.
C.S.I Las Vegas
Major: Forensic Sciences
Truths: It can be hard to deal all the time with bodies, especially if their deaths happen to be monstrous crimes or acts. Even when you’re only working with bodies that can’t say anything, you’ll discover the dark side of humanity. Just remember you’re on the good side of history.
Clichés: Forensic labs aren’t as fancy and as equipped as the ones we see in these shows. Not only that, some of the tests you’ll need will take days, months, if not weeks. Patience and a strong stomach for this are key.
Similar series: Bones, NCIS, The New Detectives, CSI Miami, CSI New York.
The Newsroom
Major: Journalism
Truths: Journalism is one of the most active careers ever. There’s always something happening in the world that must be covered. This profession is also a constant moral and ethics test for those who practice it.
Clichés: Not all journalism is controlled by higher powers nor all of it is a huge lie. There are some honest and trustworthy journalists who are dedicated to exposing the truth.
Similar series: The Hour, State of Play.
Mr. Robot
Major: Technology
Truths: Most technology-related careers, including programming, require really brilliant people willing to devote their lives to their job.
Clichés: Being a programmer doesn’t make you a misunderstood freak or vice versa.
Similar series: Silicon Valley, The It Crowd, Person of Interest, Scorpion
Girl Boss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jyr8R8cSGdo
Job: Freelancing
Truths: You do have an absolute control of your time and the creative freedom you always wanted. Whether you fail or succeed, it’s entirely your responsibility.
Cliches: It’s not as crazy and unstable as we tend to believe. If you’re organized and you know how to plan your economic life well, you can have a pretty nice and comfortable life.
Similar series: Freaklances, Flower Boy Next Door.
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Are you feeling back in track again? Just remember that you chose this major for a reason and that we have to endure some hard moments to actually achieve our goals. Though series tend to have a lot clichés, as you saw, they can also show you some real truths about the path you chose to follow, so enjoy and have fun.
Translated by María Isabel Carrasco Cara Chards
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