As I am sure you have sat at a desk as a kid and been asked what you wanted to be when you grew up. My go to answer was "a super hero," or better yet a shoulder shrug followed by a quiet murmured "I don't know." All first and second graders have these dream jobs, but in all reality I was not going to gain the power to fly in the next 12 years.
Now, don't get me wrong, if you can turn invisible and go catch all the evil villains, more power to you. I will watch you supportively from the sidelines. For all of those who are with me, I'm glad I'm not alone. As great of a cheerleader that I am, I do not believe that is my calling so onto the next idea.
Through out high school I have always had an idea of what I wanted to do. I love teaching. Well, that's a no brainer, Education Major. Now what age? First grade of course, Elementary Education Major. I went into college with my path already narrowed in education before I even contemplated anything else. I was asked multiple times "Are you sure?" or I would get the generic "God bless you," with a warm smile. I'm not going to lie, I was not surprised by these responses but they made me dig deeper.
Hearing some of these comments made me feel like I was almost sentencing myself. It took me a few days to get past this thought. A big question for me was what else can I do with an education degree? The answer is unlimited. Just because I choose Elementary Education does not mean I cannot be the Manager of a World Class Broadway Theater or New York's Number One Selling Author. My major does not define my whole future.
Now, I know what you're saying. "Whoa, slow your roll, your major does defines your career field." And you're right, it does but only to a certain degree, you can always change, tweak, and add new components to your major.
I decided to venture out of the box and take a course outlined for writing majors and could not have loved it more. I took this and tweaked my major and added a fun little concentration to it: English Writing. Now I will be the first grade teacher with the best little writers you can find.
What I had to learn was to trust myself. I needed to be confident in my decision of what to study. Everyone tells you to do what you love and love what you do, but at 18 how was I supposed to know what will truly make me happy for the rest of my life? The answer is I don't but I can choose what I love now, which is teaching and writing.
My advice to you is when you choose your major, pick something you love. Something thats fun. Something that comes naturally, and run with it.
