2 years ago, I wrote an article about what to do and what NOT to do when deciding on a major. I was a freshman in college when I wrote that article. While it still remains true to this day, and I stand by every word I said in that article. One thing that I've learned with time is that sometimes our passions can still manage to change even once we've decided on a major.
Most of us get 4 years as an undergraduate. Some of us take more, but college is expensive enough. In those 4 years, you have to make a decision on what you to study in college. When you decide on a major in college, you're deciding on what you want to become an expert in, what you hope to get more education in or get a career in. It's a big commitment that is scary for anyone. The thing is, since we only have 4 years to fulfill all of the classes for whichever major we decide on, you sort of have to decide before your spring semester of sophomore year.
What happens if you're a fall semester junior and you have a change in heart? Do you spend more than 4 years as an undergraduate in college and switch your major? What if you're an Engineering major and you realize that your heart is now in Marketing?
Here's a little thing I've learned, what matters in college is that you get a degree. It doesn't matter what you get your degree in. Entry-level jobs are looking for this piece of paper saying that you graduated college.
I can attest to this so much that college is so much more than the classes you are in. I can write a whole series of articles about it. Ultimately, it's about the experiences and college puts you through the ringer. Since I wrote that first article, I have become a COMPLETELY different person. All because college has transformed me and made me evolve in ways, I didn't think were possible.
Our society has become so competitive that a lot of people are now getting graduate degrees. For education majors, a lot of schools want to see that you have a masters. In order to be a doctor you have to get more schooling, for people in business there's this MBA program, and so on.
If you're unhappy in your major because you decide that you don't want to pursue a career in it, don't worry about it. Every major provides a unique set of skills to students in that major. Use the time after college to make some money in any career you wish and explore.
When you're fresh out of college, it is the only chance you have to be completely free from commitments. If you like traveling, go and travel. If you want to do nonprofit work, go and do that. There are so many innovative ways to make money nowadays, that you can find a way to do that.
Find what your heart is in, whether that's in medicine, education, business, research, or something else. Don't get stressed out if you're a junior in college and your major isn't your passion anymore. You still have so much time to figure out what that exactly is after college.
Life will take you into a million different directions. Eventually it will guide you down the right path that is meant for you. Sometimes it takes time and we have to be patient with it. That's okay.
