Choosing an interesting major or the major that will lead to your dream career?

<p>I'm a freshman in college and I'm very conflicted about what I should major in. Right now, it's boiling down to English or Biology concentrated in neuroscience.</p>

<p>For some reason I'm fascinated by the idea of learning everything about the brain. I'm also very interested in genetics and anatomy. I've always found science somewhat interesting but never thought of myself as a really sciency person. But when I look through my school's course catalogs, the classes I feel most interested in taking are the biology ones. </p>

<p>English on the other hand has always been my strong suit and is what I've always imagined I'd major in. I love to write and read and my dream growing up was to be a publisher. Ideally, I would love to be a literary agent or editor. If that didn't work out I would become a teacher which is something I think I would love too. </p>

<p>The reason I'm hesitant towards majoring in English is the fact that I usually find myself feeling bored in my English classes. I think it's usually the teachers that I've had in the past, but my boredom in the class makes me wonder if English is really something I should pursue. </p>

<p>On the other hand, I get excited at the idea of majoring in Biology. The only problem is that I'm not really sure what career I should pursue. I don't really think I could live in a lab for the rest of my life. I've looked into becoming a Physical Therapist or Physician Assistant but I'm not sure that would be good for me either. Although I would love to be able to help people with spinal cord injuries or brain tumors, I tend to be very emotional and think that it would be very hard for me being around people where the mortality rate can be high. I know that it's inevitable to make mistakes but I'm not sure I could live with myself if I did make mistakes. I think it would just be a very hard career path for me. I'm not sure if I have the personality to really be effective in either of those careers. </p>

<p>So I'm at a loss. Should I major in English and go after the dream job? Or should I pursue what I think is really interesting and maybe figure out a career that would be good for me? Can you think of any careers I haven't thought of or perhaps provide any insight. Double majoring is not a possibility at my school due to there not being any overlap between the two subjects. I thought about majoring in Biology and then minoring in English, but then this would close down the door to being an English teacher. Is it possible to teach English at a private school with a minor in English? I know the requirements are different. </p>

<p>Sorry this is long but thank you.</p>

<p>The main thing that limits your teaching is your certification. The requirements vary by state, and it would be good to check where you live.</p>

<p>As for bio/neuro vs. English, my totally unbiased vote as a neuroscience major is for the first option. It is possible to in some way combine the two, though. What about something like being a science writer? I don’t know if this would appeal to you, but there are options out there that are not just lab work and could give you the chance to use your science interest and your English skills.</p>