Another bad grade in a subject you thought you were good at, would be good at. Maybe this line of career isn’t what you thought it would be after all. College is a time for finding out who you are. Realizing that you might be in the wrong career path is a large step in that direction.
I know I’ve been there. In my sophomore year I started to realize that maybe I wasn’t cut out for my original career choice of becoming a music teacher. I felt stuck though, I did not know how to get out of what I was doing because I still loved music and I didn’t know what else I could possibly major in that I liked and would result in some sort of career.
I did a lot of writing and reading in that time and eventually came to the resolution that I could be an English teacher. Immersing myself in the things I loved helped me to make this conclusion, but that wasn’t the only thing that helped me.
Figuring out what to do with your life is a big decision. You have to really focus on you and get to know yourself. I know this all sounds like something that should be done in middle or high school, but a lot of people don’t “find themselves” until college. But honestly, that’s what it’s there for, that’s why you have the option to enter a college as undeclared.
Even if you are declared and find yourself unhappy in the field you’re in, you can change it.
Figure out what you don’t like about the major and go from there. What do you wish you could be doing? And don’t say Netflix or sleeping. Those don’t count toward any career. Unless you plan to be a movie critic or professional sleeper (NOTE: Not an actual career. If only it could be though, right?).
Anyway, after you figure out what you don’t like about the major, think about your general education requirements. Are there any topics you took or are currently taking that interest you? Some of my Gen Eds I liked a lot better than the classes I took for my major. Gen Eds definitely aided me in figuring out what I would rather have a career in.
Look at all the classes you’ve taken so far, specifically the ones in which you did well academically. What was it about those classes that helped you do so well? Did you like the material? Was it easy to understand? Was it fun? Sometimes knowing why you did well in a class can help you figure out what others to take or if you need to change your career path.
Another thing you can do is research. Type into Google some random jobs that you might be interested in and see what you need to do to get there. Type in your interests, your passions, etc. You need to start somewhere and although Google doesn’t have all the answers, it can give you some ideas.
One day, after all this and more, it will just come to you. You’ll have that moment where everything falls into place and you wonder why you didn’t see it sooner. It can take a while to understand what your purpose is but you will get there. Just keep your chin up and do what you love.
