Welcome to the world of college: a whirlwind of constantly being broke, tired, and confused for roughly four years. It’s hard enough finishing high school and deciding to go to college or not. Once you do, you have to choose a college. Then you have to pick a major, an emphasis for that major, and possibly a minor. How do you ensure you’re choosing the right career path and don’t end up wasting money or re-doing it all? Easy - you don’t.
Choosing a major might honestly be the hardest part of college. Typically, you’re 18-22 years old. You’re still young, how do you know what you want your life to be when you’re 40? Some people are blessed and are able to have it all figured out from the beginning. As for me, I was - am - clueless. I’ve changed my major several times, I have credits from 4 different colleges, I’ve even completely transferred twice. The whole experience has been difficult, but as a junior, I finally feel like I’m figuring it out. I had a hard time deciding what I wanted to do because I was afraid that the career didn’t “look” good enough, that I would get bored with it, or that I wouldn’t make enough money.
As a Christian, it’s hard to remember that money shouldn’t be your main concern - God and service to Him should be. In the Bible, it says, “...It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God... with men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” For me, reading this was a slap in the face. It was a reminder that’s it’s not about how much money we make, it’s about doing God’s work. Find a career and passion that is able to put food on the table. Find a job that can provide shelter and stability. Most importantly though, find a life that gives you the opportunity to spread God’s word.
In the end, you have to listen to your heart and stop worrying about everything else. Don’t worry about how much a job is going to pay. Don't worry about listening to your mom, your friends, or even your counselors. I’m not saying you shouldn’t consider their points, I’m saying you’re the one who has to pay for it. You’re the one who has to spend 4+ years dedicated to learning it. You’re the one who has to sit down and work on this as a career the rest of your life. Do what makes you happy. Find a passion that excites you and run with it. You want to wake up every morning and go to a job that you love.
It’s hard to decide on a major and know your choice is the right one. Listen to your heart, pray about it, and go into it with confidence. No matter what, God won’t give you anything you can’t handle. Use that to your advantage, know that everything is going to be alright if you listen to your heart and follow Him.
