What is your major going to be? What do you want to become when you grow up? What job field are you thinking about entering after graduation?
It’s these questions you dread attempting to answer when your college advisor tries to figure out what classes to place you in freshmen year. It’s these questions your relatives ask you every thanksgiving that make you want to punch them in the face (why can’t you just let me eat my turkey in peace?) and it’s these questions you stress about every time you sign onto social media and see a new person making a status about what they’ve officially declared.
It was questions like these that made my anxiety levels continually increase as semester after semester went by and I still didn’t know what major I was going to declare. It was these questions that I would stay up late thinking about as I’m trying to fall asleep in my dorm and it was these questions that probably caused my dreams where I’m running away from someone but no matter how hard I try my legs can’t seem to move.
For many, the answer to these questions is I have no clue. And that’s perfectly okay. How old are you, 18, 19 or 20? How could you know what to do with the rest of your life?
How could you know when all you’re life you’ve been taking monotonous classes that give you homework for the sole purpose of your teacher being able to say he/she gave their students homework? How is sitting in my high school guidance counselor’s office listening to him tell me what classes I must take in order to graduate going to help me when I’m now sitting with my college advisor who is asking me what classes I would like to take? How did being forced to take general classes of math, social studies, english and science help me determine whether or not I wanted to study photography, psychology or marketing? It didn’t.
High school does not prepare you for college. For the first time in your life you have to determine your academic career on your own. Since you have no idea what you want to do, you become anxious. How am I supposed to know? How am I supposed to figure this out? No one can tell you. You have to figure it out on your own and this not knowing makes you anxious.
The best advice I can give anyone who is struggling with figuring out a major is the following:
Let your youthful spirit help determine your future
When you were little, you had such a confidence in what you were going to be when you grow up. Nothing was impossible and you constantly switched what you’re going to be. An orthodontist? A milkman? The possibilities were endless. And they still are. It’s okay to switch your major as often as you switch what you’re wearing for the day. Try things out and see what you like. Maybe now you realize you’re lactose intolerant and don’t want to serve people milk for the rest of your life and now you realize organic chemistry and biology classes make you want to punch a wall and you are no longer interested in becoming an orthodontist.
Listen to your mom
Although your mother is probably the most biased human being in the world and thinks you can be anything you want to be, realize that she’s right! You can. Stop having the mindset there is a limit to what you can do and achieve. You really can do whatever you want.
Take your anxiety and turn it into excitement.
Although you’re used to being told what you have to do now you have the opportunity to figure out what you want. What do you want? What are you interested in? Think about what hobbies you have and what makes you happy. The best jobs are the jobs that you are genuinely happy in. You want to try to find a field where you get paid to do something you like to do regardless of the money. That’s the best it gets.
Take a class for yourself.
Take a class you’re interested in even if you think you would never go into that field. Ever wanted to try knitting or pottery? Take a class for it. You shouldn’t always have to take classes for a career purpose. Take something that you enjoy doing. Maybe you’ll find a new hobby or it’ll make you realize something you didn’t already know about yourself.
Go with your gut.
Don’t decide what major you’re going to pick based off what your friends are doing. As similar as you may be to your friends you are your own person. You have your own interests, needs and goals that are unparallel to theirs. Think about yourself. Think about what things make you the happiest and try to gear that into something academic.
There is no time limit. Your major doesn’t define who you are or what you want to become
Some people may figure out their major freshmen year while some figure it out sophomore year or even junior year. Everyone is different and there is no time limit to what you want to do or who you want to become. Even when you do figure out what major is best suitable for you, you still may end up going into a different field later on! Don’t make something like a major or a transcript define what you can or can’t do.
Don’t stress.
You will figure out your dreaded question on your own time and when you do it will no longer be your dreaded question.