<p>i'v been really stressed out, i've talked to professionasl,counselors and everyone but i still cant' find an answer.</p>
<p>I got accepted into UCLA's communications department for this fall, but I wasn't expecting to get in (I found out I got in right when I started to feel I might be in the wrong major "journalism/communications" ) Now I'm faced with a huge dilemma..i don't know if i should still go to UCLA. It's highly competitive to get into their communications department & Im' worried if I dont go this year, and then next year realize I do want to go into communications, I'll apply to UCLA again and get rejected!</p>
<p>Then there's also the issue of doubt in my major. I'm interested in graphics design or teaching elementary (i know, its completely different than journalism!)</p>
<p>what should i do? spend another year in community college? (i'm turning 21 this year) or go to UCLA and then change majors? </p>
<p>HELP! I've been thinking about this nonstop for the past 4 days!</p>
<p>you really think so? It seems like when I tell teachers or counselors about getting in they get really excited, one counselor from UCLA was telling me how hard it is to get in and she sounded angry when seh said it, probably because here i am thinking twice about going, when there are hundreds of other students who would kill to get in. </p>
<p>I was one of these students last year, i was dying to get in last year..its just this year after doing more writing, i started to feel like i'd get bored of it, and then my inspiration started to fade.</p>
<p>I only applied to UCLA, because if I didnt get in, I was going to apply to Northridge in the Spring. But that was when I was 100% sure my major would be Journalism/Communications.</p>
<p>I think it would be very difficult to swtich majors when i'm entering as a transfer student & also Graphics Design (which i think goes under Media Arts) would be in an entirely different school/department.</p>
<p>And teaching, I dont know how I'd go about getting that. I think its 4 years B.A. in anything and then getting teachers credentials.</p>
<p>Its a tough decision! My advice would be to hold off for the year, perhaps even enrolling at CSUN a year hence and forgetting about ucla. Am I sure this is right? Of course not. But here's my thinking. </p>
<p>First, the next step towards your degree. Ideally students spend the 1st 2 years exploring different areas and then pick a major that's right for them. In upper-division classes they explore it in greater depth, at the same time taking steps such as internships to prepare for a career. Does this always happen, or even often? Maybe not. There's lots of lawyers out there who ended up in law because senior year they had no idea of what to do, so law school it was. Since undergrad is a one-time deal, though, I'd argue one should at least try to identify areas of interest.</p>
<p>But for you those 2 years have gone by, and you find yourself uncertain what's next. You could go ahead and get that Comm Studies degree, even if its not what you want. Or xfer between departments in Letters & Science at UCLA. Some would suggest this, don't let that ucla admission go. However in the bigger view what difference will it make 10 years or 20 years from now if you get your degree one year later? Not as much as the difference between getting it in the wrong area.</p>
<p>Which brings me to another point; I get the idea that graphics design or teaching are just ideas that came up recently, an answer to "if not journalism, what then?" Have you direct experience doing graphics design in a business, or working as an aide in an elementary school classroom? What I'm guessing is you're striking out in new directions without a good understanding of what they entail and if they're right for you, whether they'd be any better a fit than journalism. So unless you are reasonably certain one of these 2 areas is right for you, a certainty based on actual exposure to the job and not just intellectual contemplation, my advice is to take the next year and experience them. You should also work with the career center at your JC on these issues. Nobody can make a perfect choice or guarantee they won't change their mind in the future, its true. But before embarking on one of these other paths, at least spend the time to see that they <em>could</em> be right.</p>
<p>Second, where to go to school. For one thing, you seem interested in things that are more vocational in nature (eg journalism, graphic design, teaching). The UC schools by and large shy away from vocational majors; ucla dropped journalism a while back, for example. They do have a few (nursing, engineering, etc) but by and large the focus of a UC campus is not on applied skills. The Cal-State schools do have vocational majors. So CSUN or some other CSU campus might be a better fit.</p>
<p>Assuming that this isn't a financial burden for you or your family -</p>
<p>I think (not really worth much except that you have asked strangers for an opinion) you are just freaking out over the idea of change in your life (happens to a lot of people when facing a fork in the road). </p>
<p>Go with the excellent program and put your heart and soul into it. If you want to teach, also talk to the education department about getting additional credits that could make you eligable to take the exam for a teaching certificate in English. I wouldn't think that that would be a big stretch if you are majoring in communications (yes, it would require extra classes and time, but it is an option for you).</p>
<p>Just an additional thought: you have certainly chosen three careers that are flooded with applicants and the pay is poor. It might help to do some research on the job outlooks for each. Under the circumstances, getting that Communications degree (or maybe even a double major with English) and pairing it with a teaching certificate in English might be your best bet for job security after school.</p>
<p>thanks guys. these comments have made me feel better..although im still really confused. </p>
<p>Money is a bit of an issue, i'd have to be paying out of state <em>unless i qualify for ab540</em> because i'm still in the process of trying to get my citizenship. </p>
<p>I'd feel a lot better if i could spend a whole year learning more about myself. If i got into Csun's communication department, i'd turn it down to spend another year figuring thigns out..but the fact that it's UCLA makes things harder..i dont know if that makes sense. </p>