As you go off to college, you are constantly asked from a variety of different people what you want to major in. Sometimes, if people know what your major is, they will ask you what you want to do with it. Usually, when I get asked that question, my conversations become quite awkward and most of the time, the subject gets changed. Especially in my current job, I get asked a lot of questions about my major and future hopes and dreams. I work in a hospital as a CNA, so naturally, co-workers, patients and families will have this most common, casual conversation with me.
“So are you in college?”
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“Yes.”
Here we go..
“To become a nurse I’m sure?”
*Sorry to break it to ya, but..*
“No, actually, I’m a psychology major.”
“Oh! That sounds interesting! What do you plan to do with that?”
*Well, I guess it’s time to break the ice completely…*
“I want to work in a prison, with serial killers.”
And, just like that, the conversation is over.
Every once in a while, I’ll also get the in-depth questions like, “What on earth made you want to do that?” or, “Why serial killers?, "Aren’t there other people types of people that need counseling?”, or my favorite, “Wouldn’t you want to talk to normal people about their problems?”
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but NO ONE is normal, and that is specifically why I chose the not so “normal” major.
I chose my major and that specific area of work because it is interesting to me. It is widely known that, “if you work in a job that you love, you will never ‘work’ a day in your life”. I truly believe that when I eventually have this kind of job, that I will never be working a day in my life. I will be able to truly say that every day is something completely different. One thing about my major, is that not one single person is the same. While mental illnesses may be classified by a series of symptoms, not one single person will have every single one, or they will have symptoms that are completely off. There are hundreds of mental illnesses, some that can be explained and some that can’t be and are completely controversial. Some mental illnesses can be dealt with in everyday life, and some can’t. Everyone’s brains are wired a little bit different, and to me, that is completely FASCINATING.
I also like to point out that I chose this major and this specific future job because there are people out there, and their families, that need me to do this job to help them through life. People constantly want answers and I want to be able to help find those answers-- to offer some type of solace, in a field where there is very.
While my major and future job may be odd and fascinating, it will also put some people and their families at ease, because in potential cases that I might encounter, people may need those answers and relief. Can your “normal” job do that? Maybe they can, but probably not in the ways that mine will.
For the people that always ask why I would want to do this major and these kinds of jobs, spend my life with killers, I simply answer, “Someone’s got to do it”. Why not have someone that is completely obsessed, fascinated, and in love with these things be the one to do it? To me, finding someone that loves their major and job is a future worker that shows compassion for their work and their future patients and client. Of course, I don’t find “normal” jobs to be boring, but I guess you could say I just wanted a little bit of “spice” in my life.
