Finding your major is kind of like dating. You check out all of the options, find a few that seem attractive, and then narrow down the list to one lucky one that you will arguably be spending a lot of time with. Just like dating though, majors can be difficult to deal with sometimes. You know, sometimes your boyfriend does not understand that you’re really mad or upset even though you say you’re fine; or your girlfriend makes you forty five minutes late to a party because she can’t seem to find the right eyeliner (even though it all looks exactly the same to you). The key when it comes to majors is finding the one you love and sticking with it for the long haul (even if every moment isn’t like the ‘Tunnel of Love’).
David Rubin, junior at Bucknell University, says that “in order to love your major, it is absolutely vital to pick a subject with which you can fall in love.” Just like you wouldn’t be keeping an eye on the jocks if you’re more into the nerdy type, look where you have an interest. Rubin himself says that he “took full advantage of this experimental period, going through nearly all of the sciences before finding [his] passion for biology.”
Luckily for Kathleen Sams, a junior at Austin College, she found love at first sight. She’s known what she has wanted to do since before going to college but admits that “there have definitely been days where I wanted to throw my international relations and French books off the highest building on campus and start from scratch.”
Once you have chosen a major, however, you must learn to grow old with it and foster your relationship. This development does take a considerable amount of time and effort.
Ricky Duffield, a junior at Miami University, explains “one must also begin to think along the lines of a professional in their respective field of study and try to understand how to act like the professional they are to one day become.” This philosophy has helped Duffield as a future economist because as he says, “my perspective on the world and of myself have changed, and I’ve learned to love what I do by making it part of my daily routine.”
“My best advice is just to keep your eyes open for how your major can fit into your daily life,” Sams agrees. “I'm not saying every second of everyday you'll feel like it's the right fit for you but it's about choosing the classes that leave you wanting to stay up later in the night or tell everyone you know about some specific discussion or debate in class.” If you can find something that you’re interested in and passionate about, then you’ll be set.
If you want to end up in rocking chairs on the front porch together, then you need to invest the time now. Taking careful consideration of choosing your major and learning how to integrate it into your life will lead to nothing but a happily ever after.
And who knows, maybe that cutie who sits next to you in chem is your future husband.
