We make tons of important decisions in our life. Some aren't that important, or at least don't appear to be, but other's are glaringly life-changing. One of those choices is your major.

Choosing to go to college in the first place is a huge enough step, but before you even step foot on your campus for the first day of class, you're already being pressured into making a very important decision.

No, I'm not saying that choosing your major isn't something that you shouldn't think about and consider the options. Of course it's important. The problem comes when those who have good intentions (and sometimes don't) try to use the importance of it to convince you into choosing a "safe" major instead of one that you want.

One of the problems with this is simply the fact that it is such a big decision. Although this point is often used in the persuasion of choosing a "safe" major, it makes much more sense for the opposing viewpoint. Sure, sometimes there are jobs you can get with a variety of degrees, but the one you choose is something you're going to have to study for at least two, if not four years or more. Going to class every day is hard enough as it is, there's no need in making it even more difficult by forcing yourself go through classes that you hate and care nothing about. Plus it's not cheap either.

Besides that though, is the biggest flaw in the idea of picking a "safe" major and career choice; it's based on the idea that there are such things as safe choices. As much as I hate to say it, there are no guarantees in life and nothing that any of us choose to do is a guarantee.

Some may say that sure, nothing is a guarantee, but there are choices more safe than others. I can see how some think that way, but look at it like this: imagine you choose a "safe" major. You get by in your classes and manage to make it all the way through and get your degree. You hated doing it, but you did it, and now it's finally going to pay off with a job; the entire reason you carried on all those years and spent all of your (or someone else's) money.

Then you don't get the job. Or you get the job, but you lose it. Don't think it can't happen to you, because it can. And odds are, it's going to be a lot worse trying to compete with other passionate people who actually want the job rather than the one who is going for it because they have to.

You can fail at anything you do, so wouldn't it be much better to fail at something that you love rather than something you hate?

Sure, four years or however long you stay in college might not seem like a long time, but that degree is what will help you get a job that you have to wake up and do most mornings for most of your life.

So don't let the judgement of others make you question the decisions you're making for your future. You know yourself better than anyone else. Don't get caught up in the idea that doing something you love is the only risky choice. Choosing to force yourself to do something that seems like the safe route or makes others happy is a much more risky.

Here is a video of part of the commencement speech where the above quote came from: