The choice that we all make when we start our higher educational careers can be a rather complex one. There are so many things that you have to weigh when you are fresh out of high school with zero world experience just make it even harder. Choosing a major when you have no idea what you want to do can be daunting. Of course, you could always choose to go not declared but you will have to chose a major eventually so how do you choose?
That’s a question that’s hard to answer for anyone but what I can tell you is my experience and what my approach was to choosing my field of study and why I came to that decision.
Most us initially choose a major with the idea that if I get this degree I will get this job and make ‘x’ amount of money and be happy. This may be true to some extent but you have to realize that this is a trap that many fall for. It’s a trap because it is a narrowly crafted solution to a vast problem. It is equivalent to putting a band-aid on a arterial bleed. You will eventually become so drained from working said job that you need said degree to get that you will feel unfulfilled in life. This idea that you should peruse a degree only to get higher paying job is the worst trap that any college student can fall for.
More defined, the trap is choosing to chase a salary or personal and life fulfillment and you are being asked by your parents, your university/college and your circle of friends what are you going to do? What’s your major?
The question you should ask yourself is: Will you feel any type of fulfillment working in the field your major is involved in? You also need to remember that you can change your major too so you are not exactly trapped in what you do in college but you still need to recognize what is at stake with these decisions.
I was in this position when I started my college education. I initially made the decision to try and prepare for premed but I ended up not liking what I was studying even though I had the background of being a Hospital Corpsman prior to this I lost interest in the field. Sure I would have a solid career and make decent amount of money as a Physician but I found out that I would not be happy in this field and decided to change my major and pursue something I was actually interested in and that I liked doing. I switched my major to English I still stand by that decision. I love reading and writing and I am glad I chased my passion rather than the scent and illusion of happiness through money.
The Western Writer 