SoulPancake / Conversations / How did you choose what to study and your career?

Mycroft

- 3 years ago

Feature
0
Like
Follow

How did you choose what to study and your career?

Did you actually chose it? Or did it come out of nowhere and you had a "this is what I want to do!" feeling? Or did you end up doing something you didn't like because you felt you had no choice? I'm 20 and I've dropped on the last year school for personal reasons, and haven't finished it so far because I have no motivation and I think the education system in school and even college kind of sucks. Yet I have interest in lots of things but not as a job or profession. Has anyone been in a similar situation?

Recent Discussed Liked

First level responses second level responses

I'm 18 and this year is my last at high school. In few months I have to decide on which university to go. I'm deciding between Psychology and Special Needs Education. What do you think, which choice would be more optimal nowadays (in view of getting job)?

I've wanted to be a writer since I knew what a book was. That stayed with me until mid-high school when I thought there was no money in writing so I told myself I was going to be a lawyer and study International Relations. Then I said to myself, "...but all I love is writing." So I reverted to my lifelong dream and I'm studying literature and creative writing. I want to be a writer. I will be a writer. It was pretty easy for me to decide. I just don't love anything else the way I love writing and books.

I don't know if I chose it or if I got the "this is me" feeling, but I guess it's the first one. Because I've been through hairdressing, arts, photography and now i'm in film studies. I still haven't figured out what i want to do. For all i know i might stop film studies next year and start something new. It's not that I don't ejoy it, I loved all of them, I just can't see myself doing them further on in my life.

I went through 3 majors until I went into my career. It's from osmosis. My Dad is a speech pathologist. He knew I'd be good at it, and I finally listened when I got my head on straight. I LOVE it. I always liked school though and all the things I did in college.

Wow I've read many of your posts. I can't say I have a lot in common. I waited until I was 23 to go to college. Because it took that long to find a profession I knew I'd be happy doing. Once I got here, and into my curriculum I just went with it. Advisor's suck, trust your instinct, don't ever tell yourself something is too hard.

Listen to your instincts is very good advice. Your advisers are there to sell a product (I think of it as those people who trap you and try to sell timeshares), and frankly most of them don't care what you take as long as you take a lot of it. But until a better system is put into place, all the education system gives you is an opportunity to knock on a few more doors. Or as my old friend/professor said, a bachelor's degree gives you a roll of toilet paper, with a master's you get pink toilet paper, and with a doctorate, they take the toilet paper away.

i started out my freshman year as a music major with a concentration in vocals. after 1 semester i hated it so much that i went to "undeclared" and took absolutely everything i wanted to for the next year. i took into classes in philosophy, psychology, sociology, political science, ethics, etc etc. sociology was the subject that stood out to me and had my interest more than any of the others. i realized the notion of studying not just people, but the effects the world and each individual's environment has on them was fascinating and i wanted to learn everything i could about the subject as an undergraduate. i think exploring everything and anything that interests you during the first 2 years of college is crucial and the best thing anyone can do for themselves. it's a widely known fact that hardly anyone who goes in with one major actual sticks with it throughout 4 years and comes out with a degree in that particular subject. i'm extremely passionate about my field, and when i have the time and money, i want to go back to school to get my masters degree in social work so i can advance and get better jobs. in response to your particular situation, @Mycroft , while i agree the education system is completely out of wack and at times, the whole college thing feels like one giant scam, i do hope you find the motivation to go back one day on your terms and find what you love. taking a little bit of everything can make all the difference in helping you choose a specialization. i hope you find what you're looking for and wish you the best of luck.

I made the mistake of going into something I ended up hating. Not only did I hate it, but it practically drove me insane. I was good at bio and wanted to be successful, so I went to medical school. All through college I'd have times when I'd suddenly start second guessing myself, but my pride always made me go back to pre-med. Once I'd wasted 4 years in med school and nearly $100,000 in student loans and entered psychiatric residency, I realized the horrible mistake I'd made. Psychiatry, and medicine, were not the right fields for me. I dropped out of residency to become a stay at home mom, but now I have a nearly useless education (without a license) and ridiculous debt I can't afford to pay off. I dug myself a gigantic hole by not listening to my instincts and barreling ahead. My advice is always to listen to what your heart is telling you, take a break if you need to, try some things, work, mature, and don't pressure yourself. And then if you try something and it isn't right, you can always change directions, although if you get into a hole like I did, it may be harder to get back out.

I haven't been in a similar situation. I'm a senior in High School and by the time I'm I'll have about 7 or 8 college classes done. I decided I wanted to become a History major in my sophomore year. I decided on that becuase it's what I love and it's relevant, and without it there wouldn't really be much in the world today.

Yes, I can relate-- go to schoool to learn applicable skills, not knowledge. I am serious. You will be disappointed if you are going to "learn" because my experience has been that I have learned more on my own through reading than in 10 yrs of college and grad school. Go to learn a skill that is applicable for a job or path that is interesting to you. I choose my major simply by asking which subjects I am interested in. This allowed me to make it through school. I would also add, that even though you are right, that the education system sucks, it is the only one we have, and it is to your advantage to get a degree. So stick to it, and good luck!

Yep. I'm a student of life, I go where the wind and my own whims take me... If you're more interested in happiness or job satisfaction rather than a fat pay check then it's a good life... not having a degree or even a specialization in the job market doesn't pay well though. But getting out there and working differant jobs gives you a good feel for what you want to do in the long run. From being such a "rolling stone" i've learned alot about my own work style and what I want out of life. I know that eventually I want to be my own boss or work in a self dirrected position because I work best without supervision, I hate high pressure sales jobs even though I've been sucessful in them, and I prefer menial labor that doesn't require to much thought despite being a fairly good thinker, i'd rather push a broom than push paperwork. I don't plan on going to college for anything until I turn 25, the human brain is biologically still developing up until that point and the centers of the brain that deal with reasonal thinking just aren't fully developed yet which leads to making choices based more on emotion (and two student loans from education choices based on emotion are more than enough).

SoulPancake

Mycroft

How did you choose what to study and your career?

Larisa

I'm 18 and this year is my last at high school. In few months I have to decide on which university to go. I'm deciding between Psychology and Special Needs Education. What do you think, which choice would be more optimal nowadays (in view of getting job)?

Sara

SmurfeLunn

kdmask

I went through 3 majors until I went into my career. It's from osmosis. My Dad is a speech pathologist. He knew I'd be good at it, and I finally listened when I got my head on straight. I LOVE it. I always liked school though and all the things I did in college.

Tripthink

PopeSkippyXVI

vivalagloria

CarlyQ

Wodan

Inorofone

Mistral

How did you choose what to study and your career?

I'm 18 and this year is my last at high school. In few months I have to decide on which university to go. I'm deciding between Psychology and Special Needs Education. What do you think, which choice would be more optimal nowadays (in view of getting job)?

I went through 3 majors until I went into my career. It's from osmosis. My Dad is a speech pathologist. He knew I'd be good at it, and I finally listened when I got my head on straight. I LOVE it. I always liked school though and all the things I did in college.

What's Next?