Like many of my fellow peers, I have no clue what I want to major in. I have ranged from architecture, to civil engineering, to biomedical engineering , to journalism, to now pre-med. I was hoping that fellow posters can help offer suggestions for career paths. Here is some info about me that will hopefully aid:
I am above average in all classes, but I tend to excel in the Sciences and the Englishes. I find them more interesting and thought provoking. I also enjoy working with people, and definitely want to do something that requires a lot of person to person interaction. I also have a passion with working with special need children, as my brother has autism, and I would like to help other families.
Stuff I do for fun:
I’m an avid runner, reader, and enjoy hanging with friends (basic).
I know this post may sound dumb, but I truly do need some help! So please!!!
It’s not dumb. A lot of people don’t know what they want to do. You may not even know what you want to do as you get closer to college. I’ll jot off some professions and see what you think:
Doctor/physicians assistant/pharmacist
Psychology/social work
Teacher
Nurse
Speech therapist
You are certainly all over the map right now - but that’s not unusual for someone in high school. You will have to make some decisions before applying to college, if only because not all schools offer all the options you’ve mentioned, and some major will require you to buckle down starting freshman year (while others you can decide on later.)
Since you clearest identified passion is working with special needs kids, perhaps that’s the route to start out on. If you have done volunteer work for an organization that provides services to special needs kids, you might want to interview professionals in that organization about their career paths. They are likely to be helpful to someone who has been working with them. Your brother probably has a variety of professionals who provide services to him and to your family as well. Why not talk with them too?
A typical informational interview would include asking about what they like most (and least) about the career paths they’ve chosen, what educational qualifications it requires, and what advice they would give to a young person looking for a career that involves working with special needs kids like your brother. That should give you a head start in thinking about your next steps. Your parents can probably help you in setting up an informational interview with these individuals - or with family friends and neighbors who work in similar fields.
Major =/= career. There are many careers in many areas that need people who work well with others.
If you are not yet in college, the best way to choose a major is to take a few classes that interest you. See what you are passionate about, which class you love to attend, which area seems to have more than enough angles you’d love to explore over the next 4 years.
The best way to choose a career is try stuff. Do some internships, volunteer, work a part-time job - try on different careers in small ways and see what appeals. Like, if you like to work with special needs children, volunteer in a hospital or clinic or school that services children with disabilities or developmental delays. Then think about it - there are many ways that you can work with special needs children (as a clinical psychologist, a neuropsychologist, a physician or other health professional, a lawyer who defends them, a social worker, a rehabilitation counselor…etc.) You may even find that one of your passions is really better served as a hobby (e.g., you decide that you want to be a scientist but in your off time you volunteer working with children with autism).
You also don’t have to make all your decisions now. You have your whole life ahead of you, and many people change careers several times in life.
Thanks juillet N’s Mom and The Didactic! I volunteer at Cook Children’s Hospital, so I’ll ask different professions! Especially thankful for the Interview format you provided N’s Mom.
I just feel the pressure to choose something now because I apply to college in less that 90 days, and most ask for an intended major. At this point, all I know is to follow my passions, but I don’t want to disappoint people (aka my parents) with my decisions. I’m wasn’t even 70% sure about pre-Med, and they’ve already told everyone about what I’m going to do. It’s all so confusing right now, and I don’t know what to do. But you guys have given me a great start! And I am certainly in your debt, because this was some great info and thoughts.
Remember, when you apply to colleges you are allowed to choose ‘undecided,’ That’s what most applicants do. It won’t hurt your chances. And there’s no reason not to tell your parents that you aren’t sure what you plan to do so they might want to resist telling everyone that you have chosen one path over another - especially if you might be coming back to those same people in a year or two asking if you can talk to them about their career choices.