Life is all about choices, and as we get older, the choices become harder. They range from “Which favorite toy should I play with?” to “What college? What major? What car? Which housing? What meal plan?”
Whether you are attending college as an undecided major or you’re majoring in something you’re not all too sure about, you have a big choice ahead of you.
Here are some questions to ask yourself to help you go about that choice:
1. What is your passion?
Your passion should be something you love to do and are good at doing. It’s something that you would do for fun or in your free time. If you ask me, the best thing to do is major in your passion. That’s what I did. I love most forms of writing, whether it’s poetry, creative, or article-style. So, what did I do? I majored in Journalism.
Your passion might be a certain struggle. Major in something that will help that struggle you’re passionate about. For instance, I’m passionate about the struggle of Black people in America and the negative conditions Blacks are in. My goal in life is to utilize the written word to help change some of those negative conditions.
2. Is it all about the Benjamin’s?
If you answered yes, there’s nothing wrong with being motivated by money. Maybe your passion is actually money. If it is, major in something that will, well, potentially make you rich in life. But don’t erase passion from the equation. If you decide to become a surgeon and you don’t really care about saving lives, then what’s the point?
As a journalism major, it is certain I will be making less than $40,000, but I’m not in it for the Benjamin’s. The passion I have to see my people rise overrides the amount of dollars I will be making. So again, it goes back to passion. If it’s not all about the Benjamin’s, then what is it all about?
3. Where do you see yourself on down the road?
Stop saying you don’t know. Get creative and brainstorm your future. The answer isn’t finite. If you asked me in elementary school what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer would have been a veterinarian. But as a child, it was all about the Benjamin’s.
However, another passion I have is animals, so I actually am on the pre-vet track. If you ask me where I see myself 10 years from now, I could be working with a Black-owned newspaper, or I could be healing farm animals. Maybe I’ll integrate my two passions of writing and animals and do a documentary on the horrible treatment of cows and chickens. Who knows? The answer is not finite, but just having some idea of where you’re going in life can help you decide on what to major in.
The choice is hard, but it’s a choice that must be made. One thing about Mercer, though, is the unique ability to create your own major. If you don’t have one set goal, you could potentially combine many disciplines into one. Hopefully, these questions will give you a starting place to have a conversation with yourself about passion, money, and future.
