Janice Luong
Opinions Editor
Choosing or even switching a major can feel daunting. It can seem like we are determining our entire future. Whatever subject you choose, you’ll likely spend at least three years closely studying it. It’s scary to worry about making the wrong choice when we will have to invest so much time.
However, it is an important reminder that it isn’t a one-time decision you have to make. While I was still trying to figure out my major, I went from journalism to communication to political science. It’s trial and error, and you experience different things, but what I’ve noticed when I settled on political science was that it was easy for me to think of reasons why I want to study politics.
Since I realized that political science was the degree I wanted to commit to, it wasn’t as if I stopped wondering about the ‘what if’s’ or other areas of interest. We can’t study everything or else it’ll rob all of our wallets. What keeps me grounded is that I am always willing to learn in my field.
Another major reason why I study politics is simply the fact that I find a purpose in my life for it. I think about how I want to contribute to the world, what I want to accomplish in life. I ask myself questions like do I want to contribute on a smaller or larger scale? Can I handle it? Can this degree help me reach my goals and not the other way around?
The last question helped me the most. Elementary, middle, and high school trained us to believe that we have to work for that grade, that grades are what defines us. Don’t get me wrong, we are still working for our grades in college, but college is when we earn our degrees for what we want to do while we are away from home. College, in my opinion, is supposed to work for you and your future. So, instead of thinking about what degree would make my life easier, I thought about what I wanted to accomplish in my life first, then thought of what degree would suit me best.
This all might sound obvious, but sometimes it takes a while to commit to a choice that you are just starting to learn about. It’s a financial stake as well. Nonetheless, what helped me figure it out is the fact that I want my education to be more interesting than boring, and that I thought of myself first.
Many of you may have been certain about one field your whole educational life and that is fine, but many of us also don’t have it all figured out.