Some colleges require you to declare your major when you apply, others give you until your second semester sophomore year to decide, but the choice never gets any easier. Our society expects us to have a handle on our future, and a firm understanding of what we want to do with the rest of our lives, but who really knows right now? The reality is, there’s no way of knowing what we are going to do, or where we’re going to work until we’re actually stepping into the office, hospital, classroom, or theater, for the first time. And that’s perfectly okay.
We shouldn’t have to know what we want to do for the rest of our lives; yet, we all have to pick a college major (or two) before we ever set foot into the professional arena. So how do we go about declaring a field of study that we could end up either loving or hating? What if you choose a major that closes the door to something you could have really been amazing at? It’s truly a gamble. I don’t want to have that regret, and I’m still wary when it comes to the majors I’ve chosen. Since we have no way of foreseeing our end goal, what we really need to do is pick a major that makes us happy. Now I know this sounds like common sense, but this is actually a major issue for many middle-class Americans. A recent study reported that 37% of employees (regardless of their satisfaction levels at work) are considering leaving their current organization. Among senior partners and managers, this number jumps to 63%. I find this particularly alarming, especially since it is the more established employees that are most dissatisfied. I don’t want to live that way ten, twenty, even thirty years down the line. That’s not to say choosing a college major will make or break your fate, but it’s important to evaluate certain factors before deciding upon a particular major.
A lot of us are tempted to choose the major that will pay the bills. Having a job right out of college is ideal for any student, so it seems fairly obvious that people would pursue such a major. However, this is just a temporary advantage, because soon the job will get mundane and tedious, and then what? Is this the life you want to live for the next forty years?
To avoid these staggering statistics, it’s crucial that we choose a major we really love. A job is a job, and any job is going to be challenging, and at times, dissatisfying, but the best chance we have at enjoying a higher quality of life, is finding something that brings us joy, whatever the median starter salary, or percentage of employment after graduation. These statistics don’t compare to the dread and regret of feeling stuck in a job you hate later in life.
Of course, wouldn’t we all want to find the job that doesn’t feel like work? It’s a dream and it’s ideal, but not always possible. The bills still need to be paid, and you still need to be fed and clothed, so following your dream isn’t always the clear solution. I feel that too. I’d love more than anything to just write articles or novels for the rest of my life, but I know I need to find a more practical career that can sustain me, while I try to pursue what I’m really passionate about on the side. As a result, I decided to become a Finance and English double major, with the hopes that I could combine my love for writing with a more grounded knowledge for the business world. I’m not sure what I will be doing after graduation, but I’m hopeful it will combine something I love, and something I’ll grow to love.
So whether you have declared or you haven’t, don’t fret about your major, don’t worry about how well it will provide you a successful career, and don’t expect it to give you all the answers. In the end of the day, success doesn’t come from whichever major you pick, it comes from how hard you’re willing to work towards this success. It’s a positive attitude, and the willingness to go above and beyond that will really propel you towards your dream job (whether you know what this is yet or not). The bottom line is your college major is just a word on your transcript; so it’s what you do with that knowledge that matters, and it’s the excitement it instills in you that will last a lifetime.
