Many of us have gone down this road ourselves and with our college aged children; that is: “What is your “major” going to be?”
Seems like a simple enough question, not unlike that age old question we ask young children: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Somewhere along the line we go from “…want to be…. to…my job is….” There is a huge difference in these two statements.
Perhaps when you were young you had a knack for doing something, or a natural skill and that was recognized and developed by coaches, teachers and parents.
What was yours?
Will that be your college major?
Or perhaps it will be your “ticket” into the school of choice or a scholarship of some kind.
Few are those who really know what they want to major in. I was one of those. In fact the two things I was crazy and passionate and very good at, I couldn’t major in at all. The reasons are not important anymore, but at the time those reasons put a very sour taste in my mouth and I settled for something “less” that my passionate idea of what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.
Today you have assessments, placement tests, aptitude and ability tests and college coaches and and counselors coming out of your ears.
How many English Literature majors are running around without a job today, or someone who loves art history who cannot find a job?
Here’s something that I began to think about recently; what would happen if we each did a study of where the jobs will be in 4 years and learn to that sector? No this is not new, but very few actually do this.
And what if; you took that “passion” you have and made it your minor. That’s what I did. I took a major where I knew I could get a job and I then filled my schedule with every course that was available in those two other things I was and still am passionate about.
You might say, I killed two (or in my case three) birds with one decision. The average person will change jobs some 7 times in a lifetime and they will all not be in the subject that he or she majored in in college.
Think and ponder.
Let me know what you come up with.
