We are at the time in our lives when we have to answer the age-old question that haunts us throughout adolescence, the question that was scribbled illegibly down in kindergarten and then proclaimed under our senior picture: “what are we going to be when we grow up”. Along with this question comes a bombardment of additional factors that we need to address such as what major to choose, whether we want to go abroad, what classes to take, and what we want to do with that after we graduate from Davis. Are we headed to grad-school? Med-school? Law-school? No more school? Peace Corps? Teach for America? The options are endless.
Because of the opportunities that college offers, is it fair to start college with a set plan, and the simple goal to pursue that plan for the rest of your life? This is the time in life when we are growing, changing, becoming who we are meant to be. Is that person the same person we decided on freshman year? Must I stay true to the adolescent idea of the person I thought I wanted to become? All the way through senior year and graduation? Is that decision an obligation, or just a starting point? After all the experiences of battles and triumphs, are we still that younger version of us? Do we still want the same things? Is it OK to change my mind?
YES, of course it is.
Do it for YOU.
Whatever major you choose, whatever career you decide on, make sure that you are doing it for yourself. Don’t choose something based on the prestige or success that may come along with the title. Don’t choose a path based on what those around you choose to pursue. Your parents, peers, counselors should not pressure you. Had you listened to the taunts and judgments from those around you, at the end of the day, when you are done with all the schooling, you probably wont be pleased with the path you have chosen. Choose a major that you love, that will challenge you yet is doable.
Your career does not make you who you are
The greatest person can be a mailman, while the most horrid can be a doctor.
You, as a person, are separate from your job. You have a life and then you have work. Both separate yet can affect each other tremendously. Don’t have the mind set of becoming a certain profession because you dream to be the stigma associated with it. Be a good person, yet follow your passions, because they are your passions.
What do you see in your future, does this major/job fit?
When deciding whether a certain path is right for you, make a list of what you want to see in your future. See if the career path chosen can co-relate to everything else you want in life. If kids are in the plan, look for a career with flexibility, so you can take time to raise your kids. Make a list of pros and cons, making it clear what is important to you/ what you expect for your future; balance out classes, graduate schooling, passion, pay, freedom, kids, demand, lifestyle.
These are just a few ways to simplify the decision making process. Deciding what direction to go is a big deal, make sure you do what makes you happy.