Dear College Student,
Guess what I did this year! After completing a year at a four-year university, I dropped out and went back to my small hometown and I’m going to a community college. That’s not even the shocking part so brace yourself; I’m perfectly okay with it and I know this is exactly where I’m supposed to be.
When I went into my major at UNC Pembroke (it was Pre-Med Chemistry by the way) I went into it because 1. It was basically a given to go into the medical field. It had been all I had talked about since middle school. And 2. Because I just HAD to live in an amazing, Pinterest-approved house with the cookie cutter life where money was the last thing on my mind because I made so much of it. Those two reasons always seemed to justify my career path until I started running out of general education courses to take and ultimately had to solidify my major courses.
That’s when it hit me like a ton of bricks. Did I really want to do this every day for the rest of my, well let’s face it my generation probably won’t have social security, so life? I don’t think I had ever prayed so much in my life. I prayed for guidance, for strength, for an answer written in the sky, just something to show me what to do with my life. I was desperate to find something I was passionate about but I still had the desire to live a comfortable life.
One day it hit me while I was doing something I had done for years except it wasn’t usually what I had always desired. People in the healthcare field love adrenaline and so do I. However, there wasn’t any adrenaline, no trauma, just a pulse ox, a blood pressure cuff & a patient’s hand in mine and it was in that moment that I was perfectly happy doing this for the rest of my life. Not all days are slow and calm like that one but I truly enjoyed all of it. From the days that are so busy you forget to use the bathroom to the sadness of spending the last hours with a patient before they pass away, all the way to holding a patient’s hand to bring them comfort during a transport, that’s my thing. I had finally gotten my answer.
I don’t have a fairytale story to tell about how I chose what path led me to decide on the career choice that I did. I just picked something that I was passionate about and went with it. I’ll never know everything in the field, I’ll probably have two jobs, and nothing about it is going to be a cakewalk, but it’s what I’m meant to do.
The point of this is to say one thing to the college students who are unsure about their major:
- Make sure you absolutely love it
Money is important, I totally get it. I’ve heard the lectures from adults, I’ve taken classes about finance, but it will all work out. At the end of your life, wouldn’t you rather say “I answered my calling and loved every minute of my life” rather than “look at my home and nice cars”? Find what you’re passionate about and do it.
Sincerely,
A girl who finally figured out what was important
