“What are you studying?"
“…So what are you going to do with that?"
These are the typical questions that college students all over the country are facing as they head home for break and find themselves having to make small talk at a dozen different family functions and summer barbeques. And for those of us still trying to figure out exactly how we want to use our degrees, these conversations can feel super intimidating. You may worry that not having a definite answer will make it sound like you're just wasting time and money at school. But even if you have no idea what your future holds, don't panic. Here's how to respond the dreaded “What do you want to do with your major?" like a champ.
1. Keep it Positive and Focus on the Now
Even without a specific career path you're perusing at the moment, the fact that you're at a university means you care about education and most likely have a passion for certain topics or programs that you want to get more involved in. Steer the conversation towards positive subjects like how much you loved your Religious Studies class last semester or how you're really interested in going abroad to become fluent in Italian. By talking about your current plans and passions you'll realize that you're probably not as lost as you thought. Your courses have helped you find some kind of direction even if it isn't in the form of the typical five-year career plan.
2. Tell Them What They Want to Hear
Besides Pre-med and Pre-law, many degree programs don't translate directly into one type of field. Majors in the humanities and liberal arts generally focus on skills like media or communication that can be applied to a million different positions. So a lot of the time it makes sense to list a few job options that have some overlapping qualities with your major even if right now you're not actually pursuing them. The easiest option can be to just tell your uncle that you're considering becoming a high school teacher or a psychiatrist even if you've actually considered it before. Just remember ten years from now no one will hold you to whatever your answer was in this one moment so don't overthink it.
3. Be Honest
Sometimes the best choice is just to admit that you really don't know what you want to do yet, and you're in school to hopefully figure it all out. Chances are whatever adult you're talking to was once in the exact same place you are now. They might even offer up some super helpful life advice or just help reassure you that you're not alone. There's nothing embarrassing about confessing that you don't have it all figured out yet, so hold your head high, keep following your passions, and one day you'll find yourself exactly where you're meant to be.
