In high school, I googled careers that make the most money and picked from a list of medical based careers. I knew that I wanted to help people so I figured I wouldn’t mind doing that. I also thought that I could major in nursing and fulfill all the requirements for medical school in four years. Soon after starting my first semester, I realized I couldn’t and switched my major to biology.
When you’re a biology major, you don’t just take biology classes. You also have to take an equal amount of chemistry classes. I hated chemistry and because I wasn’t passionate about my goals, I didn’t have motivation to do well in the class. After failing both my general chemistry and biology two labs, I realized that I needed to make a change… again. I needed something to look forward to that would motivate me to get through the classes that I wasn’t excited about. I reflected upon my values and goals within my personal life and tied that to a career goal. I decided to switch my major to health studies because it would equip me with the knowledge to open my own wellness resort.
I’m not going to lie, there have been some setbacks. I took classes and got credit for classes that I don’t need for my major. It can sometimes be discouraging because I feel like I wasted my time and money. However, I would rather waste a few credit hours over the course of a semester than end up with a career that I’m not passionate about and isn’t going to be fulfilling. It was also really hard for me to not know what the future holds. I like to have my life all planned out but I had to step back and allow what life had in mind for me unfold. It’s okay to not have it all together 100 percent of the time.
Remember that it’s never too late to pursue your dreams. Sometimes we get caught up in what other people think might be best for us or we think we know what’s best when we’re 18 but as time passes, we gain more knowledge, grow, and realize that that’s no longer the case. Don’t be afraid to change directions. You’re the only one that is going to have to live with yourself for the rest of your life so pursue what makes you genuinely happy. I currently have people in my classes that have already earned their bachelors in another field but have come back to college for a second bachelors because they are no longer satisfied with what they have. My mom just turned 40 (sorry, Mom) and she’s about to receive her bachelors in psychology. It’s never too late to inspire and be inspired.
