Going into college I was prepared and ready for pharmacy. What I mean by this is that I had done a summer program called “Careers in Pharmacy” at Midwestern University, shadowed a pharmacist in high school, and worked as a pharmacy technician in high school. A large part of this was because I had parents who strongly encouraged it and that’s why I was in it for so long. However, being surrounded and swamped by chemistry class, chemistry lab, biology, and much more, made me realize that I really didn’t want to do this. I mean sure I could push through classes I didn’t like and become a pharmacist, but I knew I wanted to do something else and something more.
Ever since I switched my major to psychology and English, the classes have been much more interesting to me and more enjoyable. Surprisingly, I don’t stare at the clock anymore. In addition my AP scores from my AP exams in high school for English and psychology were high and transferred for college credit but my calculus and biology scores weren’t high enough so really this is where my brain was in terms of subjects/topics I’m good at.
I also learned after switching that people really treat you differently based on your major. When I said I was a pharmacy major, it basically commanded respect, but now when I say English and psychology double major, the reaction is “oh.” Sometimes I’ll get some people who will inquire further and I’ll tell them I’m pre-law and then they become more interested but others won’t even ask or be interested in psychology or English. As a pharmacy major people expected me to know the answer to everything even though that’s not possible, and even now when I’m a psychology and English double major people question why I didn’t major in political science if I’m pre-law and already they seem to think I’m doing life wrong. However, I did go to the DC Summer Institute on Law and Policy by Duke Law this summer and really enjoyed it. I’m really excited to go into law and I think my background in psychology and English will really benefit me.
I think people should follow what interests them because in the long run they’re only hurting themselves if they don’t and I know everyone says to follow your dreams but in reality that’s always easier said than done, but I think people should follow their dreams if they can or at least keep what’s of interest to them close or keep their passions alive and in their lives. Also people are more likely to put in more work and effort into something they love than something they don’t, they don’t just stare at the clock, and they care about the work they’re doing.
For anyone thinking of switching their major from something that guarantees a lot of money to something that might not, or something that’s viewed as less stable or secure, I would say make sure you evaluate your options, your own feelings, your experiences, and your own personality. Life gets brighter when you enjoy what you do, to some this might have been a downgrade, but to me it was an upgrade because I love psychology and English and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.