Well, what can I say about college? It's a place where we set on another journey to discover who we are, in hopes of developing into the person we dream of becoming. Dreams of being lawyers, doctors, teachers, and athletes all culminate in this one place as we hope to make it out of another 2-12 years (depending on your degree) of schooling. As May soon approaches and we watch another batch of seniors graduate, it's easy to feel discouraged about your career path or even second guess where you may be headed in the next couple of years. The thought of life after college may be scary and may have you making some choices you never thought you'd have to, like changing your major or even switching schools. One thing is for certain though, if you're passionate about something, you should stick to it.

I remember my senior year of high school and telling everyone what I wanted my major to be as soon as I set off to college. I was so excited to tell everyone that I wanted to be a psych major, that I wanted to help as many people as I could with their mental health issues and eventually pave the way for younger generations to know that it's OK to struggle with who you are or what you want to be. To this day I still am, but that doesn't mean I don't hear doubts from people every day about my major, or my intended career choice.

Choosing a major in college and literally deciding what you want to do for the rest of your life is hard enough, but what makes it more difficult is the second guesses from peers and elders that insist you try for something different, usually due to the job market or because the career you chose may not be as glorified as the next. From family and friends alike I've heard it all. "There are no jobs in psychology once you graduate," "Maybe you should consider majoring in IT," "I hear business is interesting,"

and my personal favorite, "Don't worry, everyone changes their major in the first two years of college."

I acknowledge that as an individual, I am not everyone. I do not want to be everyone nor do I have the time to even know everyone. Therefore, why can't you just acknowledge my major, and accept the career path I am trying to take? For my fellow psych majors, we already know that there's allegedly not a lot of money in the field of therapy or social work, but no one seems to understand that it's not about the money.

I understand and heavily abide by C.R.E.A.M (Cash Rules Everything Around Me, Dolla Dolla Bill, Y'all.

) I further understand that if I'm going to be doing something for the rest of my life, it better be something that I thoroughly enjoy and can't see myself getting tired of. I dreaded math, barely kept myself awake in science, and I'm not that tall so I don't know how I'm going to dunk a basketball over someone's head.

When it comes to social sciences like psychology and sociology though? I can never shut up. I always found myself helping fellow students out with issues in high school, and that's when I realized I might as well turn it into a profession. Every challenge I witnessed my friends and myself go through molded my desire to help others and further develop the growth and mental state of those around me. I knew what I wanted to do, but for some reason, certain people around me refused to acknowledge it.

It almost feels like the generation before us "millennials" has this notion that you have to be a doctor or lawyer to be successful. That unless you pursue their dreams, you may never be deemed worthy of a six-figure salary or all the glory that comes with it. As this generation is doing a great job of defying those ideals, it still doesn't do us any justice when our parents scowl every time we mention our major or intended career.

I'm proud of what I want to do and what I want to be. You should be too if it's something you're proud of. As long as it's supplemental to yourself and those around you, don't let anyone tell you different. If what you do makes you feel like you're going to make the world around you a better place, then go for it. We need people in the world that are going to challenge the status quo and encourage those around us to reach their full potential. I know that I want to do my part in the mental health area, but do you know what you want to do? No matter what, don't let anyone change your outlook, or what you could possibly provide for the world.