Week 2 Story: The Man in the Moon Retelling
Author's Note
While reading this story in the Week 2 Anthology, I kind of related to the blacksmith's desire to be a stone. After all, life can get pretty stressful between work, class, internships, student organizations, doctor's appointments, etc. Sometimes it seems like being a stone would be a lot easier and maybe even a little peaceful. Anyways, reading about the blacksmith's indecisiveness and discontentment reminded me of the process of changing your major over and over again, so here's a modern retelling of The Man in the Moon.
Bibliography
Katherine Neville Fleeson, 'The Man in the Moon' from Laos Folk-Lore, read here
So the student went to their advisor, who promptly enrolled them in a full course load of English and literature classes for next semester. The student went on their way, convinced that life as an English major would be much easier and more enjoyable.
The beginning of the new semester came, and the student sat through their first week of classes. By the end of the first week, however, they had already lost their enthusiasm for their new major.
"Being an English major just doesn't seem to fit me," the student said to their friend over a cup of coffee.
"Why not?" Their friend asked. "You've always loved reading, and I thought you were pretty good at writing."
"I don't know," the student responded. "It's just so much more work than I thought it would be. I mean I do love reading, but it's kind of hard to keep loving it when I'm forced to read so many boring stories and books every week."
"Maybe you should just see how it goes this next semester. The classes probably get more interesting," said the friend.
"I think I just need to find a better major," said the student, standing up to leave.
The next day, the student was in their advisor's office once again. The advisor directed them to take a major interest test, and the student happily complied. They finished the test, and the results indicated that they would probably enjoy a Marketing major. The student agreed with the results of the tests, and their advisor helped them enroll in all the necessary courses for the next semester.
"How hard can life as a Marketing major be? I already use social media every day."
Well, unsurprisingly, it turned out that life as a Marketing major was much harder than the student thought it would be. They decided to sit down with their friend over a cup of coffee to talk it over.
"I just can't concentrate through all of these night classes! I'm definitely a morning person, and this is not working with my schedule. Plus, everyone keeps stressing how important it is to work at several internships, and I just don't think I have the time for an internship."
The friend stared at the student with a concerned look. "I think you need to stick with this one. Once you get past these classes, I think you'll really enjoy it. Plus, it's not like you'll have more time for work or internships with another major."
The student scoffed. "Yeah, like you have so much to do as an art major."
Their friend got up and left. "Well, if you think it's so easy to be an art major, why don't you visit your advisor again and find out?"
So that's what the student did. Their advisor listened to their concerns patiently, but glanced over to their computer screen reading the degree sheet for the student's proposed new major.
"I can help you change your major again, but unfortunately this means you won't be able to graduate on time. By the time you catch up with the required core classes, you're looking at graduating two years late."
"What?" exclaimed the student. "I can't be here another two years! I can't afford it. Isn't there some way I can just skip the prerequisites?"
"Sorry, but that's not a possibility," said the advisor. "If you want to graduate on time, then you have to continue with your Marketing degree."
And so the student begrudgingly remained a Marketing major, and eventually landed a position as a Brand Strategist where they continue to work today. That's how some of your favorite but terrible commercials and advertisements were produced.
While reading this story in the Week 2 Anthology, I kind of related to the blacksmith's desire to be a stone. After all, life can get pretty stressful between work, class, internships, student organizations, doctor's appointments, etc. Sometimes it seems like being a stone would be a lot easier and maybe even a little peaceful. Anyways, reading about the blacksmith's indecisiveness and discontentment reminded me of the process of changing your major over and over again, so here's a modern retelling of The Man in the Moon.
Bibliography
Katherine Neville Fleeson, 'The Man in the Moon' from Laos Folk-Lore, read here
The Terrible Marketing Strategist
One day, an engineering student sat at a desk in the library working on their homework. Stuck on a particularly difficult problem, they suddenly at up and exclaimed, "I'm not happy, and being an engineering student is too much work!" They began to walk towards the elevators, leaving their textbooks and homework behind. "I'm going to be an English major. I always did well on essays in high school, and I love reading."So the student went to their advisor, who promptly enrolled them in a full course load of English and literature classes for next semester. The student went on their way, convinced that life as an English major would be much easier and more enjoyable.
The beginning of the new semester came, and the student sat through their first week of classes. By the end of the first week, however, they had already lost their enthusiasm for their new major.
"Being an English major just doesn't seem to fit me," the student said to their friend over a cup of coffee.
"Why not?" Their friend asked. "You've always loved reading, and I thought you were pretty good at writing."
"I don't know," the student responded. "It's just so much more work than I thought it would be. I mean I do love reading, but it's kind of hard to keep loving it when I'm forced to read so many boring stories and books every week."
"Maybe you should just see how it goes this next semester. The classes probably get more interesting," said the friend.
"I think I just need to find a better major," said the student, standing up to leave.
The next day, the student was in their advisor's office once again. The advisor directed them to take a major interest test, and the student happily complied. They finished the test, and the results indicated that they would probably enjoy a Marketing major. The student agreed with the results of the tests, and their advisor helped them enroll in all the necessary courses for the next semester.
"How hard can life as a Marketing major be? I already use social media every day."
Well, unsurprisingly, it turned out that life as a Marketing major was much harder than the student thought it would be. They decided to sit down with their friend over a cup of coffee to talk it over.
"I just can't concentrate through all of these night classes! I'm definitely a morning person, and this is not working with my schedule. Plus, everyone keeps stressing how important it is to work at several internships, and I just don't think I have the time for an internship."
The friend stared at the student with a concerned look. "I think you need to stick with this one. Once you get past these classes, I think you'll really enjoy it. Plus, it's not like you'll have more time for work or internships with another major."
The student scoffed. "Yeah, like you have so much to do as an art major."
Their friend got up and left. "Well, if you think it's so easy to be an art major, why don't you visit your advisor again and find out?"
So that's what the student did. Their advisor listened to their concerns patiently, but glanced over to their computer screen reading the degree sheet for the student's proposed new major.
"I can help you change your major again, but unfortunately this means you won't be able to graduate on time. By the time you catch up with the required core classes, you're looking at graduating two years late."
"What?" exclaimed the student. "I can't be here another two years! I can't afford it. Isn't there some way I can just skip the prerequisites?"
"Sorry, but that's not a possibility," said the advisor. "If you want to graduate on time, then you have to continue with your Marketing degree."
And so the student begrudgingly remained a Marketing major, and eventually landed a position as a Brand Strategist where they continue to work today. That's how some of your favorite but terrible commercials and advertisements were produced.
The widely criticized Pepsi spot featuring Kendall Jenner.
(Image source: Tenor.com)
Alyx, this is such a funny way of retelling the Man in the Moon story! Any time you put an older tale into a modern context, I think it automatically becomes more engaging and relevant to your audience. I can't think of many students who haven't felt the "grass is greener" mentality when looking at majors other than their own. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteHey Alyx,
ReplyDeleteI loved reading through this story. This was such a great way to retell the story. Your author’s notes were very insightful and helpful. Comparing majors is something that often happens among friends, and we are all guilty of thinking that someone else’s major is better. Great work and I look forward to reading more.
-Andy
Hi Alyx,
ReplyDeleteWhat a creative way to tell this story! This is a true nightmare of all college students. I love how the stories all played out and especially the ending. Your story really does point out how often it is so difficult to decide what you're doing. Though college is for discovering yourself, you can't wait forever because eventually, you will run out of time.
All of your stories so far have been so great! I love them, and I can't wait to read more.
-Anhthu