It’s the start of the new year, all of us college students are getting back into the groove, doing homework for new classes, writing the dates on the syllabus into our planners, and learning more about the major we chose. Choosing your major is one of the most important things you do in college. In my opinion, you don’t want to choose a major based on salary, you want to choose a major based on your heart. Of course, you still want to make money, we are all aware about that giant pile of student debt waiting for us off the stage at the graduation, but you also want to be happy.
In my life, I remember all of the careers I wanted to have. The first career was a teacher and I was in 2nd grade. I loved school. I loved learning and problem solving. I loved the social interaction, not so much with the fellow students, but mainly the adults. I loved learning about their lives and hearing them talk. I realize now, that I loved talking to the adults because I could feel their passion for teaching. It was the passion behind their teaching that made eight-year old me realize that maybe teaching wasn’t my things. Also, I didn’t like kids nor have the patience for teaching.
My second career choice was a lawyer and I was in 4th grade. I watched Legally Blonde and wanted to be exactly like Elle Woods, minus the blonde hair and pink wardrobe. I liked arguing and I liked defending the defenseless. I liked the facts and persuading the jury. I liked the research and planning. I didn’t like that I would have to sometimes defend the wrong person. I grew to know that being a lawyer just wasn’t for me.
My third career choice was a journalist and this career choice lasted from middle school up until my freshman year of High School. I loved writing, I loved facts. This career choice honestly seemed like this was the direction I wanted to go. I was happy with it, I couldn’t have picked a more perfect choice for me, that is until my teacher made us research other occupations and compile a list of four jobs that would fit. Me, being the stubborn “I already know what I’m doing in life” student that I was and still am, I compiled a list that was a combination of the careers I already chose in life.
I had no idea what to do fourth occupation. There wasn’t another job I considered in my life. What would I choose? So luckily, I actually had to do my assignment and research other jobs. Took a personality test, etc. I knew I liked Psychology, I always thought that the human mind was so fascinating. I went onto AZCIS, which was the website my school used, and went to occupations under the letter “P”.
There she was, right under Psychology was the missing fourth occupation, Public Relations. I had no idea what Public Relations was but I knew I liked the public and relationships so I figured why not research this career? I researched about it and the more I researched the more I fell in love. The more I researched the more I realized that parts of this major has been with me my entire life. Parts of public relations were apparent during the Teacher phase, during the Lawyer phase and during the Journalist phase. With each phase in my life, I grew more and more into the Public Relations permanent phase. My major was the missing piece that I didn’t know I was missing.
Now, in my 2nd semester of college there is one advice I can give to incoming students or current students. Find a major that you are passionate about. Find the major that makes you smile and makes you excited to go to class. Find the major that in the future you won’t mind working in. Find the major that makes your mom go “I knew it all along” and then have her proceed to tell you a story that you don’t even remember. For a while ½ of your paycheck is probably going to go to your student loans, but working for something that you enjoy doing is worth it. Passion is priceless.
If you have a story about your major or if you just want to talk about your major, reach out to us at @hcpointpark!