When finishing high school, students are faced with the dilemma of figuring out what to do with their lives. A doctor, a reporter, a teacher? These questions are difficult to answer as a teenager, but we all have no choice but to address them.
Entering college, students pick their major and take courses following a specific path. This can limit students to classes predominantly in that major, disallowing them from expanding their knowledge base.
At a young age, we may think we know what we want to do. We see a lawyer in movies, a doctor in “Grey’s Anatomy,” or a TV reporter on the news, but we fail to recognize all the work that goes on behind the scenes.
Which is why it’s so important to diversify your knowledge and be educated on a variety of topics. Whether that means taking electives that are outside of your major, double majoring or pursuing jobs that are outside of your major, it’s a necessary and worthwhile step to take.
I am a human biology major with goals of attending medical school and becoming a doctor. Despite this, I have a huge interest in journalism — specifically sports media. I decided to create my own NFL News website called “24/7 NFL News,” and also began working here at The State News.
These experiences have little to do with what I am learning in the classroom right now, but they are important. I am learning how to manage my time between different tasks, how to develop professional relationships and how to approach certain situations I might not typically encounter elsewhere.
Whether or not I become a journalist or a doctor in the future does not matter. What matters is I am able to understand different things and make connections that I wouldn’t have if it had not been for stepping outside my human bio major.
Putting yourself in situations you are not used to is crucial. Expose yourself to things you have never seen before and try to learn something new every day. It is at these times that you realize what you like and don’t like.
Going down the path of medicine, there are thousands of kids that are pressured by parents to become doctors due to the high pay and respectability of the profession. I know dozens of kids who go through this and feel there is nothing they can do. Eventually, they will make a change and pursue a different career, which is totally OK.
Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life. Finding your future career by looking up “Top 10 paying careers” on Google will only waste your time.
It takes trial and error, and a lot of time to determine what you love. Take the time to expand your knowledge and learn about things you have never learned about. If you end up not liking it, the worst thing that will happen is you learned something new.
