Do we expect young people to know what college they want to go to immediately after their freshman year of high school, or what city they want to live in when they're young? My answer is that we don't expect them to know, but sometimes they themselves know and they go for it. They apply and get in to that college, they make plans to move to the city and succeed. So why don't we treat the question of what they want to do with their major and career the same?
College students including myself are thrown into college having no idea what we want to do with our education here. Freshman year I knew I wanted to learn, but I didn't know what and I didn't know where I would want it to take me. My school said I had until the end of sophomore year to decide a major, but truthfully most majors can not be finished within four semesters which would entail the possibly journey of attending a fifth year, and for my parents that meant paying for a fifth year. In my first semester I believe I called my mom more than five times, ecstatic about my new passion I would find. I wanted to be a criminologist, a meteorologist, a reporter, a marketing major, a pediatric nurse, a blogger and an engineer. I decided to stick to one to make my (and my mom's) life easier. I knew I liked helping people so automatically I thought doctor (easy, right?).
During my adventure of becoming Dr. Dana my first semester I signed up for a service trip to Panama for the summer through my school where I would give medical aid to the citizens of islands off of Bocas Del Toros. Being that I signed up in October, throughout the whole year I was excited. What a shame it was when I realized I was average at biology and like 47 meters below average in Chemistry. I had decided not to pursue this medical route but to still go to Panama. There I learned that my stomach can not handle blood, bodily fluids and needles, but also that I loved to talk to people, to understand their emotions, how they were feeling and how I could help. After that trip I wanted to switch to communications, specifically multimedia journalism. Throughout my time in Panama I kept a notebook and blogged in it each day about what happened and every little detail I could remember. I realized the power of speech, the ability for words on a sheet of paper to move someone, and how I made many connections with people who I barely spoke the same language of.
Beginning my sophomore year I was a Multimedia Journalism major. I am obsessed with my classes because I get to have fun and be creative. I joined my school's TV program 'VTTV' and was an anchor photog one semester and then a reporter photog the next. With these positions I would interview people, edit footage, and take footage on a video camera. I looked like the weird girl recording stuff on campus but I didn't care, I loved it.
Now, just because I love my major and have found clubs to go along with my love for it does not mean I know what I want to do. In fact, when people ask me what I want to do with my major I will say 'I don't know' about 10 times and just keep questioning myself until I fall asleep. I don't know where this major will take me, but if I have learned anything so far it is to do what you love. This major and the courses it allows me to take are so ME and I couldn't imagine being anywhere else. Do not feel pressured to know what you want to do, take your time exploring all of the majors and take classes to see what you like because you may be surprised. What is important is that your major lets you reach your full potential, and it's okay not to know your full potential yet or where it may take you.
