As I come to the end of my first year of college, I have learned more about myself and the world than I expected. When I began my freshman year, I was 17 years old and I was coming to terms with attending my third choice school. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a high school math teacher (even if I did severely struggle through AP Calculus). My mom is a middle school teacher and has always supported that decision, reminding me that I will have no issues getting a job as a woman in STEM. She struggled in her own job hunt, so of course she wants better for me. As my freshman year began, I slowly started to doubt my choice in major. Kids grow up going to school (13 years of it, to be exact), and teaching is always an option that is right in front of you. We are surrounded by teachers who talk about how much they love their job, regardless of the low pay. That direction is right for some, but I had a difficult time accepting that it wasn't right for me.
I chose my college because it had a good education program, so as my first semester went on, I attempted to push my uncertainty to the back of my mind. Changing my major from math education to biology meant switching programs, possibly falling behind and maybe even changing schools. I believed that changing my major would label me as unprepared, unmotivated and a bad student. I am none of those things, nor have I ever been. We are taught that by our junior or senior year of high school, we should know what we want to do with the rest of our lives. Students who go into college declared as undecided, or rather not really declared as anything, are looked at as less prepared, and therefore less successful. There are so many options available, why should we have to decide by the time we are 18?
I realize now that changing my major does not mean I couldn't pull it off, or I wasn't serious about school, but exactly the opposite. It means that I am courageous and brave. I am choosing happiness. I would rather change now rather than 20 years from today when I hate going to work. My friends and family may have been on the cautious side when I told them my decision, but in the end, they supported me. I explained to those who were confused that I no longer saw myself happy as a math teacher, that just because I am good at math does not mean I will be a good teacher. Maybe I have changed, and my major had to adjust with me. College has opened up so many doors for me, and quite a few windows. I hope everyone has the determination to find the right path for them, whether that means staying right where you are, or changing your major 50 times. I hope the stigma of students who have yet to figure out what they want to spend the rest of their lives doing changes too.
