You Are More Than Your Major | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

You Are More Than Your Major

Don't forget your multitude of gifts and abilities.

17
You Are More Than Your Major
Jim Garringer

As we speak, college students are starting to sound like broken records. In just days, I, for example, will sound like this:

"My name is LeighAnn Wolle. I am originally from Springfield, Illinois, but I recently moved to Nashville, Tennessee. I live on 3rd South English. I am a sociology major."

To the majority of people in your class, that is who you are, all you are. Your name, home, dorm, and major are what they know. They don't know your passions, talents, fears, or experiences. They don't know the stories that make you who you are. To many, you are just the math major in the second row or the girl that sits next to me in a class.

But, sweet friend, you are so much more than your major.

God has given you incredible gifts that stretch far beyond the boundaries of your major. Maybe you are an accounting major with incredible art skills or a pre-med major with a love for acting. There are a million different things you can do that stretch far beyond the limits of your major.

Remember all those clubs you were in or sports you played in high school? Keep those things a part of your life. Join similar clubs on campus and get involved in intramural athletics. If you love doing art, take time on the weekend to do a project. If you have a passion for serving, find places that can utilize your skills and abilities.

I know some of you are thinking, "At least those people have something to define themselves by. I don't even know what my major should be." That is a scary feeling to have. I realized a few weeks before finals of my first semester that the major I had chosen was not for me. I ignored the signs and nudges from God. While trying to complete my finals where I had to talk about the future career I was working towards, I found I couldn't do it. There were a million reasons why this career path wasn't for me, but only a few small reasons it was.

Through a lot of prayer and conversations with those who know me best, sociology may be the right answer, but I really don't know. It fits a lot of my passions and gifts, but so do other things.

I keep this Brennan Manning quote always in my mind: "Define yourself as one radically loved by God. This your true self, every other self is an illusion."

The Lord does not give you a single gift, but he blesses you immensely.

Don't allow those special parts of yourself to fade away in the busyness of the semester

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
girl with a hat

This is for the girls who have dealt with an emotionally, mentally, physically or verbally abusive father.

The ones who have grown up with a false lens of what love is and how relationships should be. The ones who have cried themselves to sleep wondering why he hurts you and your family so much. This is for all the girls who fall in love with broken boys that carry baggage bigger than their own, thinking it's their job to heal them because you watched your mother do the same.

Keep Reading...Show less
Blair Waldorf Quote
"DESTINY IS FOR LOSERS. IT'S JUST A STUPID EXCUSE TO WAIT FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN INSTEAD OF MAKING THEM HAPPEN." - BLAIR WALDORF.

The world stopped in 2012 when our beloved show "Gossip Girl" ended. For six straight years, we would all tune in every Monday at 9:00 p.m. to see Upper Eastside royalty in the form of a Burberry headband clad Blair Waldorf. Blair was the big sister that we all loved to hate. How could we ever forget the epic showdowns between her and her frenemy Serena Van Der Woodsen? Or the time she banished Georgina Sparks to a Christian summer camp? How about that time when she and her girls took down Bart Bass? Blair is life. She's taught us how to dress, how to be ambitious, and most importantly, how to throw the perfect shade.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

11 Moments Every College Freshman Has Experienced

Because we made it, and because high school seniors deserve to know what they're getting themselves into

392
too tired to care

We've all been there. From move-in day to the first finals week in college, your first term is an adventure from start to finish. In honor of college decisions coming out recently, I want to recap some of the most common experiences college freshmen experience.

1. The awkward hellos on move-in day.

You're moving your stuff onto your floor, and you will encounter people you don't know yet in the hallway. They live on your floor, so you'll awkwardly smile and maybe introduce yourself. As you walk away, you will wonder if they will ever speak to you again, but don't worry, there's a good chance that you will make some great friends on your floor!

Keep Reading...Show less
laptop
Unsplash

The college years are a time for personal growth and success. Everyone comes in with expectations about how their life is supposed to turn out and envision the future. We all freak out when things don't go exactly as planned or when our expectations are unmet. As time goes on, we realize that the uncertainty of college is what makes it great. Here are some helpful reminders about life in college.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Lessons I Learned My Freshman Year

The first year of college opens your eyes to so many new experiences.

69
johnson hall
Samantha Sigsworth

Recently I completed my freshman year of college, and boy, what an experience. It was a completely new learning environment and I can't believe how much I learned. In an effort to save time, here are the ten biggest lessons I learned from my first year of college.

1. Everyone is in the same boat

For me, the scariest part of starting school was that I was alone, that I wouldn't be able to make any friends and that I would stick out. Despite being told time and time again that everyone had these same feelings, it didn't really click until the first day when I saw all the other freshman looking as uneasy and uncomfortable as me. Therefore, I cannot stress this enough, everyone is feeling as nervous as you.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments