As we gradually ease our way towards the end of this spring semester, major declaration forms are being filled out and turned in at a rapid pace by students. Reactions to the finalization of this process vary from letting let out a sigh of relief to calling their mother excitedly. Others, however, don't have such a stress-free tune with the process. Those on this side of the spectrum furrow their brow and hope it's the right decision or having an outright meltdown; calls to mom are more tear-filled than cheerful.
Figuring out what you want to do with your life seems to manifest in three ways:
1. You know what your life track is, and you have since high school or even childhood. You get to college knowing your major, you stick with it, and wind up doing exactly what you expected to do.
2. You thought you knew where you were headed career-wise, but then you started college and every preconceived notion went out the door completely and you eventually figure out which option works best for you.
3. You straight-up have no clue what you want to do with your life and, as a result, don't even know what to major in.
Determining what you want to major in and how you intend on using that degree in the "real world" is an almost-impossible feat impacted by several external variables. Growing up, we're all affected by what our parents do, what we see on television, what our teachers tell us, and the like. I was recently reminded of a time in fourth grade when my teacher had the class all walk up to the front of the room and write down what we wanted to be when we grew up on a huge poster board.
I, being around nine-years-old, had literally no clue where my life was headed. I liked a lot of things, but didn't know how those interests would guide me in the future. I knew at the time that I love to make people laugh, so as I walked towards the front of the room, I determined the only thing I felt genuinely compelled to write down was that "when I grow up, I want to be a comedian." What else do you put down if your primary interest is making others laugh?
What did my teacher do in response? She laughed at me which, ironically, made me feel embarrassed as opposed to proud. I anxiously retracted my statement, crossed it out and wrote "artist." I like a lot of things, but art is not particularly one of my areas of expertise; it was simply the first word that popped into mind. Recalling this whole experience felt far too reminiscent of what we as college kids trying to determine what path to take deal with.
We grow up seeing what our parents do for a living and determine how we feel about those lifestyles. Then, as we journey through elementary and secondary school, we figure out what we are good at and are drawn to. There is a constant struggle between finding what we like or would be successful doing and meeting the expectations of whoever we aim to please, whether that be parents, friends, or professors.
As a liberal arts student who tried desperately to be drawn to the sciences, my word of advice for those trying to determine what major to declare is that you should, in all honesty, pursue what you love. Chances are, if you love something, you'll be good at it and find some way to utilize those skills in a successful way. Or you can accept that you'll be broke for the rest of your life, but probably content.
The decision is yours, but, the most practical thing to do, surprisingly, is to pursue your passion. Isn't that the whole point of college?
