Choosing a major, a serious college dilemma
For some people, a career path has been in mind ever since childhood. I was not a part of that lucky group.
I had an idea for what I wanted to involve myself in after high school but I was indecisive and second-guessing any of the options I considered.
I was then pressured at Saddleback to choose a major. While a major can narrow down many career choices and focus on specificity, I was unsure of my prospects and only knew where I wanted to be, not what I would be doing.
How can such a life changing decision be based on the first 18 years of existence when there are so many varieties of education to pursue? The beginning of independence is a struggle, not including the obstacles of being considered a “young adult” and trying to become adjusted to the world.
College was my time to grow and find out what kind of career could help me achieve the life I wanted, a time where we should be able explore the opportunities life hands us without our parents making the decisions. How else are we supposed to grow from young adults without hands-on experience?
My sister, a graduate of University of California, Los Angeles, and a former Saddleback student had a very tough time choosing a major when she entered Saddleback. She eventually chose architecture because she had an interest in it.
She faced long and stressful days at UCLA which caused her to shy away from architecture, or perhaps the idea of architecture didn’t leave a good mark. She currently has an internship with a marketing group.
There are many of people like her that chose a major too early and find themselves choosing a completely different career path after experiencing the major and find they aren’t capable of it.
Is it better to just have a bachelors degree under my belt and then figure out what I want to do later in life? Is that what the education system wants us to do? Is it just the bachelor’s degree that matters when interviewing for a company?
Even with all the personalities tests that analyze career choices for you, what you truly want in your life is going to depend on how much you involve yourself in the options life can give you.
In all, I believe having an education is the best decision people can do for themselves. Through that process perhaps I will learn what I want to do in my life, receive my first degree, and then receive my second degree or master’s degree in something I am truly interested in.
Finding a major is a journey, with the beginning being full of new experiences and the the end never really happens until you retire. A career is a path, and walking the distance can be difficult so we might as well do what makes us happy.
Students need life experiences so they see what it would be like to pursue a career. Education prepares students for the road ahead, so a major can be chosen after seeing the choices we are given. It all depends on what makes you happy in life.