Hello! My name is Amelia Hope Alamdar, and I am a sophomore at Stetson University.
As an Odyssey writer, I felt compelled to create an article that would address the reasons why I decided to major in English and pursue a career as a lawyer, as well as tell you a little bit more about myself.
English has always been my forte. I've always loved reading, writing lengthy papers, memorizing vocabulary terms and their corresponding definitions, etc. As a matter of fact, I tend to score the highest in classes that concern the subject of English. However, when I first started my educational career as an undergraduate at Stetson University, I had originally decided to major in Biology. I then decided to double major in Biology and English. Finally, during the fall of my sophomore year, I made the decision to major in English... Just English.
In all honesty, I believe that I was destined to major in English from the very beginning. So, why did I ever decide to major in the sciences? The answer to that question is the fact that I had once intended on becoming a pediatrician. However, the more science classes I took, the more I realized that I wasn't as passionate or as skilled in the sciences as I am in English. I still remember all of the times I used to think,"I'd rather be writing a 10 page essay for an English course instead of a lab report." Though some people dread the idea of writing lengthy papers, I say, "Bring it on! That'll be a piece of cake!"
While taking science courses influenced me to change my major and career choice, my mother and several professors at Stetson University also had a huge impact on my decision to make those changes.
One day, my mother and I sat down and had a long, meaningful discussion.
"Do you really want to be a pediatrician, or are you only pursuing that career because you feel that's what your father and I want you to do?" she asked.
"It's a little bit of both," I replied.
"But you love reading, writing, and debating! Why don't you become an attorney instead?"
From that moment on, I decided to pursue a career as a lawyer. I hope to attend Stetson University College of Law after I graduate from Stetson University in 2018, and couldn't be more excited.
Additionally, after talking with several professors, I decided to switch my major for the last time. In particular, Dr. Stock was the one professor who truly helped me to realize that pursuing an English degree was what I should have been doing all along.
A few months ago, I spent nearly half a day visiting with several professors in an attempt to determine the appropriate major for me. The most meaningful conversation I had that day was with one of my former lab professors, Dr. Stock.
"Let me ask you something... What is something you could do without stopping?" he said.
"Writing... English."
And so, I decided to change my major to English, and will always be grateful to Dr. Stock for helping me make one of the best decisions of my life.
I sincerely wish I would have made the decision to major in English and pursue a career as a lawyer much earlier than during the fall of my sophomore year as an undergraduate. If you think it would be best for you to switch your major or pursue a career that is different from the one you are pursuing now, then do it! Just make sure to major in what YOU want to major in and to pursue a career that YOU want to pursue. This is your life. Never forget that.
