It seems crazy that the expectation nowadays is for students to decide what they want to do for the rest of their lives at the mere ages of 17 and 18 years old. It is unrealistic for a person of that age to have any idea what career path to choose. This pressure consumes many adolescent minds, and I too have fallen victim to the stress of this belief.
However, the reality of the situation is that the major we choose in college doesn’t matter as much as we think it does. There is a heavy weight placed upon college students to figure out their paths; one that I believe needs to be lifted as it is harmful to set such a high bar.
The truth that I am here to share is: it’s not that serious. However, for those who have chosen a major and aren’t sure about a future career, and for those who don’t have a major yet, here are some simple tips and tricks to set you on your path.
Creating enjoyment in your life
After speaking with various college alumni, both recently graduated and well into their own career journeys, a common theme throughout was that unless you are set to be on a very specific track such as engineering, most employers do not care what major you had in college. Employers are looking for well-rounded, passionate individuals, whatever major you may have been.
If you are not sure where your passions lie, this step is for you.
The initial part of this step is to make sure that each semester of college, you choose at least one class to take purely because it sounds somewhat interesting to you. The worst that could happen from this is that by the end of the semester, you end up hating it, and you are one step closer to narrowing down what you would like to do.
If you do like it, the same result occurs in the opposite direction. College is not supposed to be a painfully unenjoyable place. It is important to surround yourself with things that make you smile, even in your academics.
The next part of this step is to join at least two student organizations. For someone such as myself, this step may take a little bit of a push out of one’s comfort zone. Forcing myself to attend meetings for clubs was one of the hardest parts about being at college. However, the results of pushing yourself can be astronomical.
In regards to these two clubs, one should help you academically in some shape or form, whether that is to continue building your resume, or further develop a skill. The other organization should be chosen completely for fun. At the end of the day, the ultimate goal is to build a career around something that you enjoy doing, which is why it is so important to keep pursuing not only academics but fill our days with small pieces of our passions.
Self reflection is your friend
For those of us who don’t feel a connection to one area of study in particular, this step is especially for you. Think about who you are, I mean, really think about it. Sometimes it helps to write down a list of accomplishments that you have had so far in your life to identify where you truly shine.
Finding a list of things that you are good at is an excellent starting place for both careers and majors. Whether this skill is small or large, capitalizing on something that you are good at, and choosing a major that is related to a personal skill is a great option for when you are feeling completely lost. The odds are, if you are good at something, there is at least some enjoyment around engaging in it.
Exploration and Combination
The last step is to take full advantage of your school’s minors and certificates that are offered. It is easy to simply look up a list of everything that is offered, and can end up opening many doors. Purely by declaring one or even two minors and certificates, you are often eligible for a much larger variety of classes than you previously would be.
No matter what year of college you are in, you can easily take advantage of your school’s opportunities. This is helpful in further understanding what you would like to do in the future, and also for the aspect of skill building. This step also takes the pressure off of choosing one specific thing that you would like to do or major in, as it adds elements of other subjects and classes into your schedule.
Important reminders
There are a few important reminders to keep in the back of your head while beginning your career journey.
Two words- self pace. To look around and see people who seem to have it all together is a falsity. You are not behind and never will be. It takes different amounts of time for flowers to bloom. It is so easy to compare ourselves to others around us, especially in college.
In reality, it is rare for a college student to be without a doubt, absolutely positive about the major and career path that they plan on pursuing from the time they enter until they graduate. For those who feel lost, you are not alone.
Focus on the present. The most comforting thing I have ever heard was from a successful CEO who said he had no idea where he would end up when he was 20.
As much as we wish we could, it is impossible to look into our futures. Our futures are inevitably unpredictable, and it is impossible to know if we will have the same likes and dislikes as we do today. For the time being, you might as well focus on the present, and do what you enjoy doing right now.
The only poor decision that you could make when choosing a career path and a major is to choose based only on the fact that it sounds difficult or impressive. It sounds ridiculous, but happens more than one may think. The end result is unhappy individuals wishing they had chosen something else.
The final reminder is that you are never truly “out of time.” People go back to school at all different times in their lives, and switch careers just about a million times before they retire. Choosing a major is merely the first stepping stone in your lifelong journey. If you really think about it, no one truly wants to do one singular thing for the rest of their lives. Take the uncertainty, embrace it, and enjoy the ride, you might end up somewhere completely unexpected.