Ever since I can remember, my entire life felt like it was being pushed to one goal post-high school graduation: medicine. Pre-med, medical school, doctor, surgeon, Biology major, you name it, it was on the forefront of my mind. And there was a very big part of me that wanted it for myself too; it just wasn’t for the right reasons. My parents encouraged it, my community set a social standard for it, and I told myself it just had to be for me. My mom has been and continues to be my hero and someone I truly aspire to be. It just so happens she is a doctor. She had me during her residency and was able to care for an infant while still keeping up with the work of a full time resident and went on to become a board certified physician. As I grew up, I saw the extraordinary woman she was/is and knew I wanted to be just like her.
When I entered high school and the courses started to get a little harder, my mom would always say, “Sweetie, this is just the beginning. College will be hard and medical school will be even harder.” I asked her why anyone in the world would put themselves through 15 years of dedicating themselves to science, math and medicine. She answered that is was because there was nothing more priceless, rewarding and worth it than saving a life. And at that moment, I knew this was the line of work for me.
But it wasn’t. I got to college and was able to keep up with the work but it was a struggle. Not the sort of struggle that has a rewarding feeling at the end. I didn’t enjoy what I was learning, I was spending up to 13 hours a day in the library between studying on my own, group sessions, TA sessions, etc., and I was physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted and upset. It affected my overall mood which affected my friendships, relationships and who I was as a person. When I would spend nights on long phone calls with my mom she would say, “I warned you. This is what you signed up for. No one enjoys Chemistry or Physics. This is the job.” But I wasn’t satisfied with that. My personality, my skill set and my interest didn’t lie in medicine or science.
Now also, every since I can remember, my dad had always told me I would make an amazing attorney. I know a lot of it was him trying to be funny because I argued like any normal teenage girl with her parents. But the thing was, I truly enjoyed debating. I did it all throughout high school and was pretty successful on my debate team. I loved researching information, formulating arguments and voicing my opinion. Law has a stigma of being boring with lots of information and memorization but I loved the idea of it. Politics as well as the way society is formed and runs had always interested me so I started taking classes in politics and sociology and fell in love with both fields. I decided to double major in these areas and never looked back.
My entire life and perspective changed with my major, as well. I was happier, as I now enjoyed what I was doing. Of course there are hard days (there is a lot more of writing papers, research and communication now in this field and a lot of the time it just gets tiring), but there is no question in my mind that this is what I’m meant to be doing. Your life won’t become sunshine and roses when you find your right major; it will still be hard, you’ll still have classes and homework. However, it will mean something and it will feel like you’re working towards something. When I have a tiring day just fighting to keep myself awake through the more boring side of Political Science, I remember that I’m doing this to be an attorney one day and that’s all the motivation I need. It’s easier to see that light at the end of the tunnel.
If you are like how I was my first year in college, I really encourage you to take a step back and think. Don’t quit something just because it’s hard but if it’s affecting your overall sanity and every single day feels hopeless, then it might be something to consider. My dad would always say, “It’s not a job if you love it” and “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” Maybe we’re not at that point yet in college, since we’re still working towards that career but there should be some passion in what we are doing to get there.