I had an idea of who I was and what I was supposed to do for the longest time. I worked hard in school, chose a major in the sciences, and told myself that that was where I was supposed to be. However, I left every class feeling uninspired, unmotivated, and always like there was something lacking.

The way that school was for me was very confusing for the longest time. I loved school, and from kindergarten until I graduated high school I had reinforced the idea that I had to be in the sciences despite all the arrows pointing me in other directions. I didn’t want to admit to myself that my goal was driven by my need to prove to myself that I was good enough, that I could handle rigorous courses. All of my friends were driven by their aspirations to go into professional medical fields, and I was motivated by my obsessive need to prove to myself that I was good enough. I look back and I am not surprised in the slightest that I felt uninspired; my way of thinking was not healthy and was very closed-minded. It was not until I finally recognized that it was okay for me to pursue an education not in the sciences that I found my true calling and realized that one’s worth as a student and academia is not found in the subject that they study, but rather in how much they pour their heart and soul into it.

I came to that realization after I felt a spark of excitement when I had to write discussions. There was something about researching a topic and forming and presenting an argument that captivated me. In that moment, I knew I needed to change my path. To me, that is something powerful and beautiful. I finally was accepting a side of me that I had suppressed and masked for so long. I decided in that moment to change my major, regardless if I was already a second-semester sophomore.

After researching the many majors UGA offers, I decided upon Journalism, and it has been the best decision I could have made in my collegiate tenure. It doesn’t matter to me that I will have to stick around for an additional semester because I love what I am studying. My grades are starting to reflect my newfound love for my area of study. My decision is further reinforced by my happiness that others can see. It is so refreshing and comforting for someone to tell me that they can tell that I love what I do and that they expect great things from me.

If you take anything away from this article, it is to not be afraid to change your path. Even if it is late in the game, it is never too late to make changes that will make you happier. Never settle because everyone deserves to live life in the most fulfilling way possible.