When we are kids, we're told to dream. We think of all the possibilities we could have someday. It's a beautiful picture of options: the cheerleader/astronaut/cowboy/teacher and part-time superhero. Money is no limitation, people haven't scolded us, we believe in what we can't see, and the world is perfect.
Flash-forward to senior year of high school. We've survived the horrid invention that is middle school, and can see the life run by me, myself, and I. Faced with the reality that someday must be decided today, the pressure to find our perfect major and college comes to fruition. We make these decisions based on our dreams, financial capabilities, parents' hopes and needs, distance from home, school locations, and our insecurities.
At age 17/18 we pick the path for the rest of our lives. So why should we feel bad if three months or one year or five years later we realize that isn't the life for us?
This past week I decided to change my major. Not because I didn't love it: I fought the decision for a very long time because I absolutely loved what I was doing, and still do. Not because I didn't want to work for it: I hate the idea of no longer actively learning and exercising new knowledge. Not because of criticism from outside influences: I was fortunate to have supportive family and friends trust my original decision. I changed because I realized I loved something more.
Admitting to myself I wanted to change majors was incredibly hard. Changing my major felt like giving up on a dream I've had since I was a child. Something I thought of when all the possibilities in the world were available to me. There was something about my original dream that truly attracted me and didn't lose it's attainability, while life told me other doors were closed. It was something I looked forward to for over half of my life, and I couldn't wait to go off to college to learn all I could. Leaving my original major was like leaving a part of myself.
When we make our original decision, we don't know what will slowly creep into our desires. In the time between choosing Major One and Major Two, we change our hair and clothing styles, friends, and life experiences. All of those changes define a new person who has every right to want something different. I believe, as long as we go after our new passion with the same force we devoted to our original love, we don't owe anything to our younger self. Plus, if we're going into debt over the degree, we might as well love how we're going to pay it off.
