My Major Situation

When we are young, we have so many ideas of what we want to be when we grow up. From the realistic princess gig to the first woman president- both of which still can happen- I definitely had my share of diverse career goals. But when I got to high school, I was taught to go with what I was best at. For me, that was math. I was the kid who made the highest on math tests and the one you went to when you needed answers for algebra homework. I always thought that something involving math was my calling.

Even though I was a math nerd, I also had a love for art as a kid. I was always doodling in class and painted in my free time. I wasn't great, but I was pretty good. I secretly just wanted to be an artist when I grew up, but of course everyone will tell you how unrealistic that is. So I kept that dream locked up inside me.

When I got to college, I started out as a Finance and Banking major. I didn't know much about the major. I knew it involved math, so I just went with it. A month or two into my first semester, I thought marketing would be a better route for me. So I switched over to a marketing major, but was still in the business college. As my second semester progressed, I realized I just wasn't loving my business classes. I thought it was normal to not like some of your classes in college, but something about it just didn't sit well with me. It was too by-the-book and not enough thinking outside of the box for me.

The more I started to think about my major, the more I wanted to change it. I was so scared of making the wrong decision, until I had a really good conversation with my brother on a car ride home from Texas Roadhouse. My brother literally has the best life ever. He works for an awesome ministry as their communications coordinator. He does a lot of video and audio production, writing, and advertising through social media. I always thought his job was so cool, but never thought I was good enough at that kind of stuff to do it.

The night after our conservation I thought about how much I loved some of the things he did. I remember doing projects in high school where I had to put together a music video or a short film. They weren't the most clean-cut videos, but I loved spending hours making them. I also had a secret love for writing, but didn't really tell anyone because I wasn't great at it. That is when I realized these insecurities I had about things I loved kept me away from doing them.

After lots of praying, I decided to change my major to Communications with a concentration in Advertising, and double-minor in Marketing and Media Studies. Looking through all the classes for my major and minors made me so excited for school, a feeling I have never really had before. I finally was going to do something I felt was meant for me.

Just Because You Are Good At It Doesn't Mean You Have To Do It

The headline says it all. I know when you are good at something, you feel like you need to stick with it. It's human nature. But if you feel like you may be meant for something else, give it a try! You never know what might come out of it. I know I am only a freshman, and I might change my mind again, but I feel so much better about college now that I am doing something I feel like is right for me. Yeah I am good at math, but I truly don't believe that is what I am intended to do for the rest of my life.

Find Your Passion

Finding your passion and what you want to do with your life takes time. My brother changed his major a good 8 times (not kidding) and my 50-year-old mom says she still doesn't know what she wants to be when she grows up. Learning about yourself and what you love to do is a process, one that I believe never ends. Everyday you have new experiences that can help you figure out new interests or passions. Choosing what you want to be when you grow up is super scary when you are 18 and haven't been in the real world yet, but one of the greatest parts of college is realizing who you are and who you are suppose to be.

Final Thoughts

I think everyone has something they are not great at but they still love it anyways. For some it is singing or dancing. For others it may be something a little more serious. It may be their passion. Don't be afraid to go for something even if it isn't your forte. I love the story about how Michael Jordan didn't make his high school basketball team. He became so good at something he was once just okay at. Why did he succeed? It was his passion! If you are really meant to do something and you care enough about it, it's going to work out. I believe that God has a plan for everyone, it just takes some a little more time to figure out what it is than others.