Growing up, people always ask what you want to be when you grow up. We give them answers such as an astronaut, a doctor, a garbage truck driver, a police officer, and many more. It is one of the most, if not, the most commonly asked question while growing up. And when you are about to graduate high school, all they want to know is what you are going to major in and what you want to do with it. They ask if you want to go to an in-state or out-of-state university and if you are going to stay in the dorms. All they want to know is what your big plans are for the rest of your life. Well, this is my story of how I ended up in Hawai’i, what my original plans were, changing my major, and how I could not be any happier with my decision.
I had it all planned out for me; I was going to attend Hawai’i Pacific University majoring in biochemistry, graduate with a 4.0, go on to get my masters degree, and eventually work in a stem cell research facility growing organs in a petri dish. But after one semester of classes, I figured out that this was not the career for me. I ended that semester with a 3.0, the lowest GPA I have ever received. I was so ashamed of myself, but I did not know how to tell everyone that this was not the career that I wanted. They all had such high expectations of me to be the first one in my family to get into scientific research and help make a change in this world. I thought that if I changed my career now, then I would disappoint everyone.
I spoke to my mom that evening and I told her that I do not want to do science anymore. I told her that as much as I would love to save lives, I just do not think that I could do it for the rest of my life. She looked at me and told me, “as long as you are happy, then I am happy.” And so I did it; that night I registered for design classes and petitioned to change my major to integrated multimedia. I love the classes that I am in, I am a part of multiple clubs that let me do what I love, and best of all, I can actually see myself doing this for the rest of my life.
So if someone were to tell you that you will regret your decision if you are wanting to change your major, tell them that they are wrong. Tell them that there is nothing wrong with changing your major once, twice, even ten times – it is totally acceptable! How are you supposed to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life at the age of 18? We already have a hard enough time figuring out what to wear that day let alone trying to figure out a career. So do what you love, be the person you inspire to be, and surround yourself with people that support you.