When I first started out as a freshman at Cal Lutheran, I was scared of picking a major because the major that I wanted to declare did not have very good job prospects, according to the statistics on many websites. Journalism (as known as underwater basket weaving to most) was what I wanted to major in because I am so passionate about writing and having my voice heard in this world. But I had fears. Fears that I wouldn't get a job after college graduation.
One day, I told my parents that I wanted to major in Biology instead of Journalism because the STEM fields have great job prospects, according to those same websites I previously checked. But I didn't actually want to major in biology. I HATED math and science. English and literature were my passions; I love reading and writing. I declared myself a biology major a week before my first day of class. I was only trying to please my parents, I wanted them to be proud of me. They put on encouraging smiles as I told them of my choice. "We know you can do it. You're going to flourish!", they said. I sat there silently thinking about how I would most likely be working in a laboratory for the next 30 some years of my life. What an abhorrent thought.
Thankfully, a family friend knocked some sense into me. She gave me the best piece of advice I could have ever received: "it doesn't matter if you have to start from the bottom. Follow your dreams because life is short. Life is what YOU make it". From that conversation, I immediately changed my major back to Communication with an emphasis in Journalism. I realized that it doesn't matter if I don't get a job straight away after college graduation. That's what everyone else does. The job will come when it's meant to come. I'm living my own life, not anyone else's. I'm not listening to anyone besides myself. Lesson learned.
