College is where we get to learn about ourselves and what makes us happy. It is the time to explore and experience new things.
With the many majors and degrees IU offers, it is okay to not be sure about what you want to do. But as you get further into your academic career, it is important to figure out what you’re passionate about.
To figure out what drives your success, meet with your advisors to go over options that interest you. Think about what hobbies, activities or clubs you’re involved in that you enjoy. Think about the future and if you’d still be happy doing the career you are pursuing.
When we get out of high school, we are thrown into a world full of many different opportunities. It can be a struggle figuring out what opportunity best suits the life you want to live. Regardless, if there’s something that excites you, go after it.
Personally, when I graduated high school I was focused on making money and not on following my dreams. Biology was my favorite subject in school, but I was also a great writer. I was told writers don’t get paid much and they’re always out of work, but I still really wanted to do journalism. However, I came to college on a pre-med track with a major in biology.
My first year was terrible. I was failing classes, which is something I was not used to, but I kept trying because I thought I wanted to be a doctor. I was talking with my professors and my advisor constantly and they would always tell me, “Keep trying, it’ll get better.” It didn’t.
As a side note, make sure you have people in your corner who will tell you the truth and not what you want to hear. I feel like advisors always tell us what we want to hear and not what we need to hear.
So, as I kept struggling through my science classes, I decided to take a journalism media course. I ultimately loved the media course and switched my major to journalism at the end of my freshman year. Now, as I am ending my senior year, I am more than happy that I made that decision.
Although it felt like a risky decision to make, following what I am passionate about could’ve been one of the best things I have ever done for myself. Money doesn’t matter and what other people say doesn’t matter. What you love to do is all that matters.
If you aren’t happy to go to your major classes or do the things that will get you a job, you might need to reevaluate your path. If you are happy, struggling a little, and feeling excited to get the job you’re pursuing I would say you’re on the right path.
Take risks, do things that make you happy and sometimes uncomfortable, and find a great support system. You’ll be so glad you did.
