I came into college with a fixed mindset that I was going to do one thing with my life: computer science engineering. My ultimate goal was to become a software architect and eventually make my way up and work for Apple. When my advisor told me that I had to major in Physics at Saint Mary's (which would eventually transfer over to Notre Dame where I'd major in Computer Science Engineering), I was plagued with many emotions.
Thought #1: "I have never had a day of Physics in my life."
Thought #2: "This is going to be absolute hell."
Thought #3: "Okay... how bad can it be?"
Needless to say, I cried doing my Physics homework and was out of that major the first week. So I gave up my dream, and the hundreds of thousands of dollars I would make a year. At this point, I came to learn that my happiness was more important than any salary.
On to the next major, music education. A spontaneous choice, but I loved it. Music has always been something I can turn to when I'm feeling lost, and I enjoyed the thought of teaching my favorite thing to others.
Fast forward a month, I was frustrated and annoyed. I came to the realization that though the idea of teaching music was nice, it wasn't for me. By this point, I was downright annoyed... so I took a week to research what I really wanted to do with my life and all of the steps that it would take to get there.
If you don't know me, you probably are unaware that I work at a library. I love my job, I love the atmosphere, and I love the people I work with. Thus came the idea to become a librarian.
So I talked to my boss and she turned me in the direction of Secondary Education with a focus on English for my bachelor's degree and a masters degree in Library Information Science.
Fast forward a couple of months, I realized that though I enjoyed the thought of being a librarian, I wanted to make more money. So I turned directions yet again to Communicative Science and Disorders, to eventually become a Speech Pathologist or an Audiologist.
Ultimately, I want to help people in the world. I also want to make a good amount of money. Oops.
Moral of the story, you can go into any situation and have an idea in your head of how it will turn out and how you want things to be. However, that's often not the case. So, this is a PSA to anyone who may be struggling right now that it's okay if things are not going the way you want them to. It's okay if you have no idea what you want to do with your life. It is also okay to try different things and to go down new paths. How else are you supposed to discover what you love and want to do for the next 50 years?
From the girl who has changed majors three times now, I promise you that it will all work out. So...here is a very cute motivational penguin to brighten your day.
