Imagine having to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life at the ripe age of 17 or 18 years old… except we do. We, as seniors in high school, are expected to make that decision before even stepping foot on our college campus. Our family, college advisors and teachers question us like they’re these T.V. detectives while you’re just an innocent kid being interrogated for some wild crime. It can cause you to make some really hasty decisions, even when that may not be your intention. Just remember that no matter what anyone – friends, family or whomever it may be – says, you do NOT have to choose the fate of your life in the five minutes that it takes to fill out those college applications. You don’t even have to decide in your first, second or third semester of college. So, I’m here to tell you why and give you a little sense of relief.
Courtesy: Gabriella Favale
Getting ready to apply to college, I had no idea what I wanted to major in, let alone what I wanted to do with my life. As I did more and more research on majors and careers, I convinced myself that I wanted to study biology, go to medical school and become a doctor. After about two weeks of chemistry that quickly changed – shout-out to all of you STEM majors because I have no clue how you do it. I then told myself that marketing was perfect for me, as I knew that graduating from the Business School here at Florida State would guarantee me a job that would get me by in life. As I was finishing up the first semester of my sophomore year, that’s when it hit me. I need to be doing something that I love and could never – or rarely – get tired of. Clearly, that is what everyone tells you as you go through college, but sometimes it can be difficult to let yourself do it. I realized that I didn’t need an education in a major that would eventually cause me to resent myself and the choices I made throughout college just to find a stable job. It was time to make a change for me and not those around me.
Courtesy: Rachel Sandhouse
I realized that I couldn’t care about what people had to say about me being an English major – as if it’s a total shock or something – or what people thought of my goals in terms of a career, because at the end of the day, it isn’t their life, its mine. It’s yours. Never feel afraid to take back the power, be selfish in the decision-making process about your education and/or future and be open to change. Know that there are plenty of people around you who are just as worried about changing their major, or adding a major/minor because it would “set them back in terms of graduating”, or because it’s intimidating going into a new major where everyone already seems comfortable. The truth is, there is no wrong decision. Whether you decide to make the change or not, if it’s what you want, know that there are people there to support. From college advisors, to friends, to sorority sisters, to fraternity brothers, to club peers, to whomever it may be, I can guarantee that there are plenty of people around you who went through or are going through the same thing and are willing to help.
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