Sometimes being a perfectionist means not getting ANYTHING done. In my case, if I think I will embarrass myself, have a mediocre outcome or simply don’t think something is worth it, I would rather not do it at all. My college career thus far has definitely reflected that. I have a lot of interests and a lot of drive, but when it comes to knowing where to focus all of my attention, where to give 100% of my effort… I sometimes feel helpless.
For my first two years at Florida State I didn’t really get involved. I was more concerned with finding the right major than I was with trying out any extracurricular activities. I was worried that I would be wasting my valuable time. Just so you know, that is not the right mentality. I got nowhere. I was stuck. I was terrified that I wasn’t doing my best to choose the best major for myself, and hastily changed it several times. I viewed my education as nothing more than an item on my resumé, when in reality a college education is so much more than that.
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Photo Courtesy: Madelyn Keslar
Pondering your future beside the distinguished statues around Westcott Fountain may bring you to some realizations about your future, but probably not.
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If you’re a freshman, sophomore — heck, whatever year — in school and feel like you still have not found your place and can’t see yourself graduating with a major you’re not passionate about, I highly recommend trying to build up from the bottom. The cool thing about a lot of majors is that they leave you enough room for a double minor or even a double major if you have enough time. So, for example, because I chose a major in English and the major only required 35 hours of classes, I had enough room to try some other classes out and see what I liked in order to choose my other minor(s) or major.
I think the important thing to remember is that you’re not making a decision, you’re making many decisions. If you’re like me, you’ll end up with a lot on your resumé that you never expected you would. You’re choosing things one-step at a time, because you’ll be evolving as a person. I think the safe thing to do is aim on having a major that you don’t hate, and then add onto it in order to make it more personal. I’m now an Editing, Writing and Media major. Pretty much all of my interests are related to music, so I got involved with the student radio station, WVFS 89.7, and added a chorus class to my schedule every semester that I could. (There are lots of music opportunities for non-majors, if you’re interested!) Those two things really helped me feel like I had more control over my life.
However, it’s also important to not overwhelm yourself. A good way to not sign up for too much too fast is to look into two-three new things your first few semesters, pick at least one, and stick with it! In that club or organization, you’re bound to find something that you want to get further involved in. If you can pinpoint what you like about it, you can look into getting involved in similar things— and maybe even add a class to next semester’s schedule that is concerned with that thing!
Education is a process. It doesn’t happen all at once. Sure, you can force yourself to do something you hate for four years if you put your mind to it. But if you’re still reading this article, I bet that’s not the type of person you are. You want to kick butt at something worth it to you, not so you can prove your drive to others, but because you want to prove it to yourself.
Start being busy. Make time for the gym! Make time to cook/eat healthy meals! Make time to do what you enjoy! Make a schedule. Remember that your physical and mental health are important and that school is not just some big, scary thing that you’re meant to suffer through. Universities have evolved to allow for a more personal experience. Take advantage of that. It’s not a trick! You really can design your major(s) and what goes on your diploma. Mix in a little bit of what you like and what you’re good at. That’s where the magic happens. Passion plus drive. They help each other out. They need each other.
Don’t sit in your room waiting for your major to come to you. It won’t. You’ll build it from the bottom up as a result of your experiences and ever-changing interests and investments. Allow yourself some room to say, “I don’t know where I’ll be in ___ years, but I’m going to act like I do, and I’m going to assume that I’ll be making the best of it. And that’s enough.”
Get involved, make friends, have awesome experiences and figure out what you like dedicating your time to. Chances are, your major will figure itself out without you even knowing!