You're in your senior year of high school and everybody around you is pressuring you to choose what you want to do with the rest of your life. You're having to decide between colleges, what friends you're going to have to leave behind, how long you want to even spend in college, and what your major is even gonna be.
Or, if you're like me, you had no doubt in your mind what you wanted to be. The only thing you needed to decide was where to go to obtain that degree. And then a year or two in, you begin to second guess yourself for no reason and then start to wonder whether that major was the right decision for you or not. Then you change majors once or twice and then end up back in your original major because it was what you wanted to do all along.
Yeah, choosing your career can be a pretty hectic and stressful thing. You just have to sit back and give yourself a chance to really THINK and dwell on this huge decision. I mean, it's your life and it's what you're going to be doing for 50+ years until you retire. This is a huge decision here, not to be made lightly.
1. What can I imagine myself doing every single day for the next 50+ years and be completely happy with it? This is the first question because it is often the most important question to ask. You have to know and think about the fact that whatever you choose, you will be doing for a very long time. Don't sit and dwell forever on this fact, but just keep that in the back of your mind when you make this decision.
2. Don't make your decision based on money. I'm gonna say it again...do NOT base your career decision solely on how much money you could make doing it. Yes, this is an important factor. But when you are faced with the decision of doing something you love and doing something that makes more money, choose what you love. That rewarding feeling you get will be worth far more than the money you'd make doing something else.
3. Do whatever it takes to get through school. Some majors, like becoming a doctor for example, require you to be in school for many years. This may seem like a terrible thought, but if it's something you are really passionate about becoming, that time will fly by. Study when you should, work full time if you have to, spend less time in your social life, etc. It'll all be worth it in the end.
4. Student loans. Yes, they give us the option of obtaining TOPS to help pay for our school. But, as we all know, life happens, and it's not always easy to keep the TOPS grant. So, you are faced with the decision of either paying out of pocket, or taking out student loans. Now, most of us choose the latter. And those loans grow and pile up easily. But, don't fret. Once you obtain that career, you will be able to pay those loans off with no problem. Don't let your financial situation make your decision for you.
5. When you retire, will you be happy with the life you lived? By this I mean, when you are 70 years old and reminiscing on your life, will you be happy with the career that you chose for yourself? Don't choose something that seems interesting now, but could eventually become boring to you. Choose something that you are passionate about. That you will wake up happy to do, even if that means waking up before the sun or missing out on some social life functions because of it. Choose something that will give you that rewarding feeling. Trust me, your 70 year old self will thank you in the end.
Now, of course there are a few other factors to take into consideration when thinking about what major you want to go into. But, to me, these are the most important.
Happy Studying!
