When I was in kindergarten, we made time capsules and inside of them we wrote what we wanted to be when we grew up. Opening mine in high school it revealed that I wanted to be an artist. Sitting here writing this at age 19, I don’t think I could make a successful career as a painter, but it does speak to how I do like to follow my own path and avoid repetition. Entering college, choosing a major has been difficult because I feel like my interests change so frequently. However, I think I am starting to find some direction and here’s how.
Cliché, but try new things
In high school I spent my fair share of math classes thinking, ‘why is this important?’ It’s important to know your math basics, but that time also showed me that I would not be happy dedicating my occupation to working with numbers and equations. So, entering college, I took all courses that were never offered in high school. Philosophy, political science, and global development studies allowed me to expand my mindset and think beyond what I already know. Even if you like math, taking courses you’re not familiar with could introduce you to something you never knew you liked.
Get to know your professors
This may be obvious, but if I like the professor, I tend to like the course and I think there is a reason for that. Your professors took the leap that you may do as well in the future; they dedicated their occupation to that field of study, they’re the experts. I spent an hour a week my freshman year of college sitting in office hours with my philosophy professor getting to know the material better and him as well. After taking more courses to scope out what I may want to dedicate my major to, I’m thinking about returning to philosophy and I do believe it is because I took the time to engage more with the material. Your professors are excited to talk to you, especially if it’s about their work and research. It can give you some guidance on what you could possibly do with your future!
4 years is a long time and there’s a lot you can do in it!
Like I said before, I like newness and I avoid following tedious routines. College is 8 semesters of fun and friends yes, but it also is a very long time to get expertise in so many different areas. The last thing I want to do is graduate with a degree I do not feel confident in and I feel like a way to avoid that is to earn multiple majors or minors. To give you an idea of how broad I want to go, I want to create my own major dedicated to the intertwining of politics, philosophy, and economics all while pursuing a minor in French simply because I want to. There are endless possibilities and you don’t have to be confined to one major.
It is okay to feel stuck too, not knowing what you find interest in. If that’s the case, sign up for a class and if it’s boring switch out of it! Being in college means being an adult. The only classes you may have to take are general requirements if your school requires them. But, those are a great learning opportunity too! Take some risks and explore, you never know what might peak your interests.