As I watch my younger brother prepare for his freshman year at CU, I can’t help but be jealous of him. I love studying psychology and Spanish, but part of me wonders how different my career path would be if I had chosen a different major. If you are also starting college (or wanting to change majors), here are five majors I wish I could have pursued.
- Anthropology
A mixture of history, sociology, and geology, anthropology is another major I am interested in. I have taken a few anthropology classes at CU and found all of them interesting, with a manageable course load, and knowledge that is easily applicable in other careers. CU offers three subdisciplines of anthropology: archaeology, biological, and cultural. If given the opportunity, I would explore my interest in cultural anthropology.
2. English
Quite honestly, one of the main reasons I didn’t pursue an English major was because my mom is an English teacher and I wanted to sway away from familial traditions. I would have entered the scope of creative writing rather than literary analysis with this major, but the idea of having nothing but reading and essays for homework sounds like a dream. Of course, I could still be a published author without a degree in English, but being able to tell people I have a bachelor’s in English is enticing.
- Education
Through the School of Education, I could have pursued a bachelor’s in elementary education and fulfilled my dream of becoming a kindergarten teacher. I will probably end up working with kids in some way with my current majors (even if it’s just coaching my future kids soccer team) but sometimes, I lay in bed and imagine being “Ms. Oliver” and being paid to hang out with 5-year-olds.
- EBIO
Even though every biology class I have ever taken has been very hard for me, part of me wishes I had challenged myself, buckled down, and allowed my genuine interest in how the world works to lead me in pursuing a major in Ecological and Evolutionary Biology. Being a real life scientist excites me so much and I respect all biology majors for their academic dedication.
- Art
Another one of my passions is art. I love to paint, sculpt, collage, and design. I took IB Art in high school, and the best part of my day was walking into the art room, listening to music, and spending an hour hot gluing broken mirror pieces onto a canvas or mixing paint colors. I think I would have fallen deeply in love with my creative side with a degree in art practices, but I also may have become the stereotypical post-grad struggling artist.
Starting college is an amazing experience no matter what degree you pursue. There are so many career opportunities, and picking a major is definitely one of the most life-changing decisions you can make. However, there is no formalized path in college, and it’s especially important to know there is nothing wrong with going back to school later in life. Who knows: maybe in 10 years I will decide psychology is bogus and re-enroll in classes so I can become the next female biologist to win a Nobel Prize.