DR. WALLACE: I know since my mother is an avid reader of yours that you were once a teacher before you worked in other jobs at schools, all before you eventually became a columnist.

How did you select the courses you attended in college back then? Were there more or less electives as compared to today? I'm curious to know since I have not figured out my path in college yet. I have not selected a major, so I'm taking lots of foundational classes in various subjects to get exposure to many subjects.

What criteria would you suggest I use to select what field of study I'd like to pursue, or to at least help me to narrow down the possibilities? I've finished one year of college, but this fall I feel I should start to think seriously about my ultimate major selection. — Still Undecided, via email

STILL UNDECIDED: I'd say that your thought process and actions thus far have been good. I always recommend to students unsure about a major course of study selection to sample various course subjects for the very purpose you've outlined.

In my day as a college student, there seemed to be more core courses required and that the selection of elective courses was a bit limited. However, that factor did not have the biggest impact on my selection. What did have the biggest impact? An excellent teacher!

I took a sociology course and found it much more interesting than I could ever have imagined going into the class. This excellent teacher brought the subject matter to life in a way that was not only compelling but interesting, enjoyable and provocative. The next semester I scanned the roster of courses offered and I saw that this same professor taught a more advanced level of this subject, so I enrolled for that class. Well, it turned out even better for me than the first one did!

From there I felt a keen interest in the subject, and I felt quite comfortable with my understanding and comprehension of the subject matter. Therefore, I suggest that you take a variety of courses, and those that you really find interesting and taught well, seek to follow up by enrolling in a slightly higher level of the same subject. The most important factor in my opinion is for you to find the material interesting and easy to comprehend. And then if you happen to have a few possible majors that rate equally with you, let the tiebreaker be the teacher or teachers you enjoyed the most.

I WANT THE WHOLE SUMMER OFF!

DR. WALLACE: I am a good high school athlete, but I have one complaint. Right now, it's summertime, and I'd like to have as much free time as possible to relax and spend good times with my friends.

However, my sport requires me to attend practices starting later this month, and I'm really not looking forward to them! Why can't all high school athletes have the full summer off? — I Need a Break, via email

I NEED A BREAK: Part of being an athlete is sacrificing your free time in order to improve your strength and conditioning, and your mastery of the fundamentals of your sport. This is true of many athletes at the high school, college and professional level here in America, and around the world as well.

You should consider yourself lucky that you have the physical talents to play your sport at your current level, and realize that this is part of the overall package of being a student athlete. Fortunately, for you, your teammates must meet the same criteria, therefore, you'll all have a shared experience, and you are not being singled out by any means.

I coached high school basketball for several years, and I can tell you that the players I had back in my day would occasionally complain about practices as well, but when the game days rolled around, all the complaints were long forgotten, and they were happy they had the endurance and skill development that allowed them to compete at an appropriate level.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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