Deciding on a major can be a frightening thing. Am I choosing something that makes me happy? Is this really what I want to do for the rest of my life? For a long time, people have been majoring in things that interest them, but now, with this economy, the added pressure of finding a major that has a guaranteed job after graduating seems to be imperative. So long are the days of choosing a major that you get excited to learn about and excited to tell people about.
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However, I am among the few that have chosen a major that I enjoy rather than one that will get me a job. Deciding to become an American History major was a daunting task because I was plagued by the fact that I might not have a job after I graduate. Nearing the end of my sophomore year, still considering myself undecided, I had to make the choice. Should I major in American history and continue on my path of knowledge, or should I apply to the Rehab Science School and force myself to take classes I wasn’t particularly keen on? If I went into the Rehab Science School, I thought I would be able to pursue a career that could help me get a job.
Sitting down and really considering my options, I could not get myself to take the prerequisites, such as physics, that would allow me to apply to the program. Physics would be a GPA killer, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to pass it on my first try. So, I felt like I was stuck choosing history as my last option. As I went to fill out my form to change my major, it dawned on me that the only reason I didn’t want to become this major was because I wouldn’t have a guaranteed job after graduating, and I wouldn’t be able to make any money. I was disappointed in myself because I had always grown up hearing my parents tell me life is about what makes you happy, not what could make you money. They engrained in me that to be successful, you have to work hard and do what you love, so that when I become to be their age, I have no regrets. I had been so caught up in getting a high paying job that I forgot to think about what I actually enjoyed doing.
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After I filled out my form, I had set up a meeting with my advisor, who coincidentally was a teacher I had the semester prior. Surprisingly, my meeting was the best ones I had ever had with an advisor, and I felt like I was talking to a friend rather than someone that was shooing me out the door. I felt like I was at home, with likeminded people who would understand my interests and help me develop my skills further. I have never looked back since.
Every time I tell people my major now, I get looks. Some people are cringing inside because they hate history, and that’s understandable; a lot of people do, and I am never offended by that. I am offended, however, when people tell me I will not make any money doing this. Until now, I never realized that society was built on the idea of making money and becoming successful. Sure, there are people out there that have college degrees that cannot do anything with them, but in reality a lot of places don’t care about your undergraduate major. I have researched different career paths, outside of the history realm, and came to the realization that a lot of places and programs only care about your GPA and certain classes as prerequisites, not what is on the certificate you are handed for graduation. With that in mind, why would I ever change to something I hated just to “make money?” To me, money is not everything in the world and most of the people that allow that to be their driving factor hate their jobs.
Not to say though, that people who have majors that make money, such as engineering, are doing something wrong. But, if you are forcing yourself day in and day out to go towards a goal that you are dreading, maybe you should rethink it. I have realized that we all have one life to live, and I am certainly not spending mine studying for hours on something I could care less about. Even learning about people in history class that did what they believed in regardless of what society thought helps remind me every day that I am doing what I love. I am putting my time and effort into something I love and enjoy. Money is not worth a lifetime of unhappiness.
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