To those who don’t know what they want to do after they graduate college,

It’s okay. Don’t let people overwhelm you, get you anxious and pressure you to make a decision on your major right away. It’s normal to not know what you want to study and practice for the rest of your life. It’s a big decision to make, and not everyone knows exactly what they want to do for the rest of their lives. It might be scary at first, taking all the pre-requisite classes and zooming through all the liberal studies courses, still not sure what you want to major in. I understand because I went through the same thing my freshman year.

Taking the step to come to college to pursue career goals and dreams is a major milestone in someone’s life. Most of the people you meet in college already have their life planned 10 years in advance. The winner of the question most heard of in college is “What’s your major?” …. And everyone always seems to have an answer for it.

Biology. Finance. Business. However, when I got asked that question my first year in college the answer was always… “I don’t know.” Because I really didn’t know. I couldn’t comprehend how most of my peers in college straight out of high school, 18 years old, knew exactly what they wanted to do for the rest of their lives and had their whole life ahead of them planned out. I didn’t understand how people loved what they were doing, when they haven’t even done it yet.

And honestly, I still don’t understand it. I went through my first year at Florida State undecided and not sure of my future career goals, until I finally took some classes and pictured myself in the future and enjoyed what I was doing. But what if I hate my major by the time I graduate? What if I don’t enjoy my job after school, and I’m miserable? I still think about it most of the time that I’m here at FSU. How can I be sure that this is what I really want to do?

Here’s how.

The best advice I can give to you undecided majors is to really look for something you’re passionate about. Take different classes that you might be interested in to narrow down your search.

Look for something you love, look for something where you’ll wake up in the morning and actually not complain about having to wake up in the morning for work. A lot of people give up their passions and loves because they think they’re going to end up at a dead end, with no job, and no future. But that’s not true. There’s a big world out there, filled with open doors and opportunities that are just waiting for eager, determined, and aspiring college kids to come through them. Don’t give up on your dreams or passions because you think you won’t go anywhere with them.

I know college can be tough and the decision to stick to one major and career for the rest of your life can be overwhelming and scary. But trust me, once you find that niche, that passion, and that love for what you do, it won’t be scary anymore. It won’t be work anymore.

You’ll wake up in the morning with a smile on your face, excited to tackle the day. You’ll engage in the classes for your major, you’ll never feel bored or want to get distracted. You’ll love each and every second of it. Don’t worry exploratory majors, your passion is waiting for you. All you have to do is find it.

Sincerely,

A pre-exploratory major who is more than happy with her choice.