Like most first-years, I came into college as a hopeful pre-med student. I signed up for Gen Chem I and set myself on a path to become a successful doctor one day.
Fast forward seven months, and the one time potential neurosurgeon is now an English major with a Secondary Education minor, and is planning on attending law school.
Drastic, I know.
But the beauty of college is not to plan out your life class by class, and semester by semester. Instead, it’s the freedom to be as indecisive as you want.
Take an art history class. Take a social deviancy class. Take a library science class. Take whatever class you want. Grant yourself the freedom to explore your interests and find your passions—that is what college is for.
Another point I’d like to make: Your major is meant to help guide you, not define you.
You may think that just because you decide to major in Poli-Sci that you have to become a lawyer. Or because you decide to major in Psychology, you have to become a shrink. But none of these things are true. You are not your major—only you decide who you are and what you become.
Nothing is set in stone yet, so don’t confine yourself into becoming someone or something that you’re not.
Believe me, you do not want to spend the rest of your life doing something you hate. You’ll be miserable and filled with regret. And that’s not a life worth living, nor embracing.
So what if you think you’ve found something you like, but aren’t sure if you’ll like it enough to do it forever?
You might ask “Well, what happens if I finally find a major, declare it, and end up hating it? What do I do?”
You change it.
That’s it. It’s really that simple.
No one is going to judge or punish you for changing your mind, especially when it comes to a decision as large as declaring what you want to do for the rest of your life.
You’re allowed to change your mind. In fact, I encourage you to do so. Change your mind, then change it again. Change it a thousand times if you have to, but don’t give up on finding your passion for fear of failure.
This is why I encourage you to keep an open mind during your first couple years at college. It’s great to have a plan for yourself and already have an idea of what you want to do, but, if you don’t, well, that’s OK too.
Honestly, no one really knows what they’re doing with their life yet. And if they say they do—they’re probably lying.
So as you plan out what classes to take in the fall, what internships you want over the summer, and what major you want to declare, remember this:
If you don’t become the next Christina Yang, Mark Zuckerburg, or Bill Gates like you originally planned, the sun will still come up, life will still go on, and you will still find your niche.
And guess what?
It will all be worth it when you do.
