One of the best decisions I’ve ever made was to go into college as an undecided major.
At first it was really hard being surrounded by so many of my peers who knew exactly what they wanted to do. They had their majors declared, and they made friends easier because they bonded over the passion they all shared. Not to mention that they were taking the same classes – most of the time together. It seems dramatic, but it was easy to feel like an outsider, not knowing what I wanted to do with my life – and I do realize how absurd that sounds. What exactly is wrong with being unsure of your life goals at 18? Let me tell you, NOTHING.
Being an undecided major meant that I didn’t have a 4-year plan already drawn up as a Freshman. I wasn’t tied down to taking any specific classes, and that gave me the freedom to explore so many different fields. I took courses in Philosophy, Computer Programming, Politics, Business, Economics, Finance, Psychology, Accounting, Social Work, Marketing, and Art. Wow, right? I know, it’s a lot, but taking all of those classes helped me to find my passion.
I fell in love with Photography in an Intro to Photo class I took during my first semester Freshman year. I used Photoshop for the first time, and I was able to take photos I had taken and turn them into something more, adding an artist statement to give the photos a deeper meanings. It was the perfect fit for me, but then I realized that I most likely couldn’t really be successful in that career. So I explored the Drugs and Human Behavior class I was in, and started to love the idea of being a Social Worker. But as I took more Social Work courses, I realized that that wasn’t the field for me. That sent me back to square one with no clear direction for my life.
I decided to take a Marketing course because it seemed like the next best thing, and I fell in love with it. The next thing I had to decide is which side of marketing I wanted to be on, the visual side or the business side. So I took a few more classes, did some side work creating graphics and redesigning logos, and I also took an Intermediate Photography class and that’s when I knew that I wanted to be on the graphic side of Marketing, and I FINALLY declared a major.
The moral of the story is that in order to find your passion, you have to have an open mind and the freedom to explore. Don’t be afraid to swim upstream and go against the flow. You don’t have to do everything your friends are doing – what’s right for them might not be right for you. Stay focused on what you want and work hard, and you’ll find your passion on the road to success.
Best of luck, DMs are always open
@AllForHim28
