When I first decided that I was coming to Spring Hill, I thought that I wanted to be an education major. I decided to work with special ed and disabled children. However, when I came to orientation, I realized that wasn’t what I wanted. I was doing it because I wanted to make a difference, but I wasn’t doing something I’d enjoy for the rest of my life.

I then changed to undecided and had my basics planned out to take. At the very end of my first semester of my freshman year, I decided that I wanted to be a nurse. I declared that as my major and started the second semester with classes that would align me with that major.

Not going to lie, those classes were very, very hard. I ended up being behind in the amount of classes I needed for the major. So, I had to stay on campus this summer and take summer classes to try and catch up. And, these classes are even harder. Imagine a whole semester of a course jam packed into one month.

Now I’m at a point where my GPA won’t be hurt by the courses, but it won’t be helped. I started off my freshman year with a 3.0, but the nursing courses have killed that. So, let’s just say that nursing isn’t for me right now. Which hurts because I was very enthusiastic about being a nurse one day. Something about taking care of people in need just makes me feel like I have a purpose.

But, looking back at these two situations, I see I’ve been lacking some consideration. With teaching, I lacked the simple want-to. I didn’t want to be a special ed teacher. I was going to do it just to make a difference.

Then, with nursing, I lacked ability. I’ve never been good at science. I have no idea why I thought I would be able to make at least a B in college sciences. And, I was looking to the future too much. I knew that being a nurse would work really well with my future. But, I wasn’t looking at the present enough.

To find a major that’s perfect for me, I need first to have a want for that occupation. I can’t just throw myself into a major that will be great for my future or make an impact on others. I have to make sure it will be good for me.

Second, I need to make sure it is achievable in the present. I have to make sure that I can apply myself in all areas to what the major requires. I can’t say “yeah, I can get there,” when I never really had the ability to get there in the first place.

But, finally, I have to make sure that it will apply to my future well. I have to make sure that the things I want out of my life will be achievable with the job I’ll have. Will a family go well with my job? Can I have the house I want? Will a relationship work?

I’ve said this plenty of times, but when you are in college and fresh out of high school, you are at weird place where you aren’t really a child or an adult. And we tend to get lost in that mix up. I’ve learned that you can’t do that though. You have to start to take all things into consideration for when you escape that strange limbo and step into full-fledged adulthood.

And to any one reading this that has absolutely no idea what they want to do, that’s fine. Don’t panic. You have time. Just explore. Take classes just because they interest you and it may be something you want to dip your toe into. Because you will end up changing your mind so many times. Then, make it up just to change it again. But, that’s okay. It’s all just part of growing up.