People change their minds all the time. At some college admissions event, we've all probably heard some statistic that said "80 percent of college students will change their major." I was set in my ways at age 17, certain that I was going to become a television producer. But as I dragged a camera and tripod around campus for my first film classes, I realized I was miserable.
Soon, I became part of the 80 percent. After taking assignments for the campus newspaper, I realized I loved print journalism. I loved writing. I excelled in English when I was in high school, but I did not consider writing as a career until after I started college. By spring of freshman year, I had switched my major from television and radio to journalism. Even though there were plenty of other people like me looking for a new major, I felt isolated. I felt like everyone else had found their "thing" while I was on a constant soul-searching journey.
Once I declared my major in journalism, a professor told me I should find a minor so I could specialize in writing about a certain topic. This professor unknowingly sent me spiraling into a life crisis. I spent the next two months looking at minor requirements for different programs, with no clear idea of what I wanted to study. I considered history, music, foreign languages and even marine science. Finally, I decided to take a step back and wait for inspiration to come to me. If I stopped letting fear and anxiety motivate me to find something I'm interested in, maybe I would have a clearer mind. So I stopped looking at program requirements and freaking out about what to study. Eventually, I went to a lecture by a local congressman with my friend and discovered the exciting world of politics. The rest was history, but not really because I didn't choose to minor in history, although it was one of the many minors I considered.
Set in my major and minor, you might think I have it all figured out, but that is far from the truth. I don't know what's next. I have gained notoriety among my friends for being the most indecisive one –– I call it being thorough.
One of my best friends at school is about to graduate with an accounting degree, but after his first internship, he realized he was not meant to be an accountant. After taking time to reflect and think about his interests and talents, he decided to start applying to graduate programs in school counseling. Although it is a completely different field, he said had always felt drawn to jobs that allowed him to counsel people. This made complete sense to me, since he had helped me through one or two life crises (yes, I have a lot of those).
Changing our majors or career paths is scary, but if you know yourself and your talents, choosing the right path will come to you much more easily. If you let fear get in the way, you might never get the clarity you need. It is easy to feel the need to be in control of everything, but sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves is take a step back, and know that you will find the answers eventually. The most important thing to remember next time you have to make an important life decision is this: be fearless.
