Take time in college to figure out your passion
College… the place where most students get their first taste of freedom! The place where you eat ramen for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The place where you have near impossible classes, and even more impossible assignments. The place where YOU have everything figured out.
I’m sure these are all rumors we’ve heard and thoughts that we’ve shared when leaving our last year of high school and entering our first year of college.
However, the reality of it does not exactly fit that stigma (except for maybe the ramen part).
Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of things that you’ve probably heard from upperclassmen that are true. The classes are hard, the assignments are even harder, and you have to stay on top of everything, in order to get good grades. But there is one major misconception for both incoming freshman and new students in general. And that is… having your life figured out.
As high school wraps up, students are pressured into selecting their major. Although this isn’t a permanent decision and can easily be changed during your time at any university or institution, it is made out to be a concrete selection.
As a college sophomore, I am here to tell you it’s okay to not have everything under control. There will be times when you feel overwhelmed and completely flustered by everything you have going on. You don’t have to have everything figured out during college. The truth is, most students don’t.
Many students start their college careers with an undeclared major and eventually decide on something they are passionate about. There is plenty of time in a person’s college experience to not know exactly what they’re doing. As cliché as it might be, one of the best things you can do for yourself during this time period is to try as many new experiences as possible. That is single-handedly the best way to figure out what you personally enjoy and are passionate about. Many academic departments offer introduction level courses which briefly explain what you can expect from that type of major. These are an excellent resource to use when determining what you might want to pursue.
There may be tests you can take, or friends you can talk to – however my best advice would be to figure out what you are passionate about and what you want to do with your life. Nobody can make this decision for you and even this blog isn’t going to automatically make all things clear.
Hopefully this provides you with comfort in your time of confusion, and reassurance that you’re not alone. Many resources are offered to help you find what you want to do. It’s just a matter of taking advantage of what is offered, exploring new things, and having fun with it all!
About the author
Evan Carey
Evan Carey is 19 years old from Ocala, Florida. He is currently a sophomore at the University of Texas at Arlington studying Biomedical Engineering. He is also the Pearson Campus Ambassador for UT-Arlingon. In his free time enjoys being with his friends, fitness, and spending time at The Wesley Foundation.
This is Evan’s first article to appear in the Pearson Students Blog. If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started!
