Here’s how to make a college student disappear into a world of stress and anxiety. All you need to do is ask them a version of one very simple question: "What do you want to do with your life?" Every time I get asked about my major or my career plan, I am instantly swallowed into a state of panic where I begin to question everything about myself and my future. If you have never experienced this life crushing doubt, you are one of the golden few who have surpassed the rest of us mere mortals.

I am the most frustratingly indecisive person, so when it came to picking a major, I picked four. I came into college double majoring in Neuroscience and Criminology with minors in Forensic Science and Security and Intelligence. Afterwards, it was always the same question -- “How do those relate?” and I always answered the same way, with nervous laughter. That’s when I discovered the far better question to ask people is not what your major is, but why is that your major. Many people respond with “I want to make a lot of money” or “I want a job after college” and others choose their major solely based on passion. However, time and time again I’ve talked to people wanting to major or pursue a career in something else, but are too afraid to due to the lack of respect associated with that major or lack of job/financial security and success.

“In another life I would definitely be (insert job profession)” is a very common phrase that I used to gloss over. However, now that I’m in the time of my life where a dumb girl, who recently spent an hour playing Webkinz, has to make major life decisions, I couldn’t help but to be bothered by that statement. Why does it have to be in “another life” to do what you are passionate about? Why can’t it be in this life? I swear those two questions literally made my brain melt and I begun to have a mid-life crisis…at nineteen. I questioned myself, my abilities, my interests, and whether if I even had any passions.

So, after hours googling “what should I do with my life”, I came across an article that asked, “What did you do as kid, that captivated you so much, but you stopped doing because you got too busy with 'real life'?”. That’s when I heard it for the first time. My gut. No, it wasn’t because I only had fruit snacks that day and I had just ordered Chipotle online, but I had a gut feeling that my own fear was stopping me from pursuing what I really wanted to do. The next week, I talked to an advisor and immediately switched my majors to Neuroscience and Film Studies with a focus in screenwriting while minoring in Criminology and Media and Production. Do they relate to one another? Absolutely not. Does that matter? Absolutely not.

After seeking advice from strangers and older friends who are just starting out in the real world, I learned one of my most important life lessons: screw it. If you want to change your major halfway through junior year, but are stopped by other people’s opinions or fear of being too late, well screw it. This is your life and don’t let other people determine it for you. If you aren’t majoring in something you love due to concerns about being in a “joke” major, well screw it. Do it anyways. If you secretly would love to be in another profession, but are worried about financial success, well screw it. Pursue the heck out of it. If you’re too afraid to pursue a career or major because you’ve seen the statistics and don’t think it's very marketable, well screw it. Do what you love. If you want to major in completely unrelated subjects, but aren’t because other people say it’s a waste of time or it doesn’t make sense, well screw it. Follow your gut. Don’t wait for “another life” to do what you love; make it this life.