Why You Should Major in Greek & Roman Studies
When I started my undergraduate degree at UVic, I had no intention of majoring in Greek & Roman Studies (GRS). I thought I wanted to be a Political Science major, but after taking several Greek & Roman Studies electives I fell in love with the program and switched my major.
Many of my friends in the program had a similar experience, so I thought I would share some reasons why Greek & Roman Studies might be a good major for you!
1. Field school opportunities
The UVic in Greece crew in front of the Parthenon in Athens
In the summer after my 3rd year, I took part in the “UVic in Greece” program, which was a month-long field school in Greece. It turned out to be the highlight of my undergraduate degree.
Seeing the archaeological sites and artefacts that I had read about in my textbooks was an incredible experience, and made me all the more passionate about the subject I was studying. I also made so many friends on this trip, and we had lots of downtime to explore the cities and enjoy the food and culture Greece has to offer.
In 2017, the GRS department is offering a 4-month study abroad semester in Greece. Find out more here! Dear GRS department, will you take a law student with you? Plz?
In front of the Tholos at Delphi
2. The professors are the best
I loved every single professor I had during my time in the Greek & Roman Studies program. They are all passionate about their research, and provide an engaging and fun classroom experience. Meet some of the GRS professors in this video!
Me and my friends at a Greek Gods & Goddesses party
3. There is an active course union
Do you like potlucks and board game nights? Do you want to attend a toga party? Then you’re in luck, because the Greek and Roman Studies Course Union offers all those things! I was on the executive of the course union, and had so much fun organizing events and having the opportunity to get to know more people in my program.
Check out the course union on Facebook!
4. You will make life-long friends
When I went on my field school to Greece, I had no idea that I would make such amazing friends who would be a part of my life even after I graduated. Having such close friends in my program made my final year of undergrad extra special, and I am so glad that GRS brought these wonderful people into my life!
Graduation day with my GRS friends
I met Katie on the field school, and she ended up being one of my bridesmaids!
The GRS ladies at my wedding!
5. You will develop strong research and writing skills
Greek and Roman Studies is quite essay-heavy, so you will have plenty of opportunity to develop your skills in research and academic writing. I think GRS prepared me really well for law school, as these skills are critical in the legal world!
My experience in Greek & Roman Studies was top-notch and I would recommend the program to anyone. If you are interested in GRS but don’t want to declare a major yet, here are a few interesting classes you can take to get a taste for the program:
- GRS 100 – Greek & Roman Civilization
- GRS 200 – Greek & Roman Mythology (this might have been my favourite class of my entire degree!)
- GRS 204 – The Ancient World on Film (you get to watch movies! Why would you NOT take this class?)
Let me know if you have any questions about Greek and Roman Studies! You can also find out more about the program here.
Hi I am considering taking a major of classics for the intention of taking a class that I love (especially metholodgy) so that I can boost my GPA and use it for med school. How difficult would you say it is to get high grades in this course?
Thanks for asking. The author of this post has graduated, but if you join the My first year @ UVic group on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/103233444672/ I’m sure somebody there can give you a current answer!