Navigating Major Waters

If you asked me in first grade, I’d tell you that I wanted to be a veterinarian. In fifth grade I’d tell you I wanted to be a teacher. In high school I’d tell you I wanted to be a physical therapist. Coming into college I’d tell you I wanted to be a marine biologist.

As life happened throughout the years and I experienced new things and figured out who I was, what I wanted to do with my life changed constantly. I had a lot of trouble committing to one major, until I found the one that was the perfect fit for me.

When applying to schools, I was so convinced that I needed to know exactly what I wanted to do so that I could find the perfect school, perfect program and have the perfect college experience. What I’m here to tell you though, is that it’s okay to not know exactly what you want to do. In fact, it’s perfectly normal to come into college not knowing.

Some people have known since day one that they want to be a teacher or a nurse or a businessperson. For those people it makes sense to look at schools based on the specific program they offer. For those of us who don’t quite know though, it’s something we figure out when we least expect to.

I realized halfway through my hunt for the perfect college that I needed to look at more than just the marine biology programs they offered. I needed to look at the whole spectrum of majors offered, so that if I found what I was studying wasn’t for me, I could change it. I needed to look at how I felt walking around campus, if I could see myself there and feeling at home.

I changed my major four times my freshman year, and I’m still graduating in four years. I say that with pride because I think it takes a lot to admit to yourself that maybe you’re not going to do what you always thought you would. Maybe you’re destined for something else.

Since ECU is such a big school, I was able to change my major and explore different avenues. There are so many introductory classes offered here that I was able to take different classes and see what clicked, there is even a COAD class that explores many different possible paths for freshman.

I am now graduating in May with a Bachelor of Science in Communication and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. I am so thankful that I was able to explore different avenues until I truly found my calling and I have had an amazing few years getting to learn from caring professors and gain real life experiences in my fields.

So my advice to you: don’t stress if you don’t know exactly what you want to do. It is completely normal to be undecided and there really is something for everyone, you just need to wait and see what your something is.