I am here to say that it is okay to not know what your future holds. I am the poster child for taking the long route to decided what to do with my life. I have changed my major 5 times and have considered changing even more. I think I have finally decided on a major, however, I already know that I might go back to school for a graduate degree or change my mind again. Things change every single day and I believe college is the place to explore and discover your true self.
TL;DR
- You don’t have to know what you want to do for the rest of your life.
- It is very easy to get wrapped up in wanting to please your parents and those around you when making this kind of decision. Remember: It is going to be YOU working that job day in and day out. It will not be your parents there. As long as you are happy with what you are doing, that is all that really matters.
- It is okay to change your mind.
The journey to find my major
- Starting college, I wanted to be a chiropractor. I then decided that major involved way too much science for my liking so I changed to Accounting because math is my specialty.
- I discovered that Accounting was not for me because it was more than just math so I decided I would pursue math education because I have always wanted to be a teacher.
- When I decided math education was not for me either, I switched back to Accounting.
- Then, someone told me they thought I would be a great nurse. So, you already know I changed my major to nursing. Like my original goal to be a chiropractor, I found that nursing involved too much science for me.
- After nursing, I thought I would love to go into broadcast journalism. That wasn’t it either.
- After a lot of thought and praying, I finally decided on Marketing.
My journey to find the right major has not only been difficult for me but for my parents as well. Like many parents, they worried if I would find the right path that would lead to a successful career. There was even a point when they suggested I take some time off from school to stay home and work until I had a better idea of what I wanted to do. Despite this advice, I decided to stick it out and continue looking until I found a path right for me.
A variety of interests
Along with exploring many majors, I like to explore a variety of campus activities as well. I believe being involved on campus can lead students to discover what they want to do after college. Here are some of the ways I am involved:
- President of Phi Mu fraternity
- President of Tech Sluggers
- Vice President of the Student Government Association
- Vice President of the National Society of Leadership and Success
- Member of the Presidential Leadership Cabinet
- I play every sport imaginable in intramurals.
- I also have multiple on-campus jobs and I love every single one!
Whether it’s academics or campus involvement, I do not have one thing I am solely interested in. Kudos to the people who do. However, there is nothing to be ashamed of if it takes some exploration to discover your passions.
In the end, it is your journey
Although I have changed my major many times, I am on track to graduate only a semester later than planned and I am even considering attending graduate school.
It is okay to change your mind.
A friend of mine, who is double majoring in Finance and Marketing is in his final semester of undergrad and has realized he would love to go into Occupational Therapy.
It is okay to change your mind.
At the beginning of my college career, I didn’t realize how clueless I really was about what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Am I certain even now? Nope! I am still figuring it out. I could even begin my career someday and decide I would like to do something completely different. And you know what? That is okay!
It is okay to change your mind.
By: Brittany Shannon
Brittany is a junior from Clinton, AR.
