As a child, I wanted to be a pilot but then as I grew I realized I didn’t really care about piloting planes, so I told myself that maybe I would enjoy building planes so I took an interest in aerospace engineering. From my freshman year to my senior year, I have been taking all these engineering classes such as principles of technology, Pltw introduction to engineering, aerospace engineering, but now I understand that I might not even like engineering at all. I am terrified of college because I am going on an engineering scholarship. I am lost because high school was supposed to be what prepared me what allowed me to make choices and now it feels like a total waste. The diploma represents my shame. I chose computer engineering because I thought that I might like it but I can tell that I don’t enjoy it and It means nothing to me so I have a bad feeling about it in college. I am a hard worker, I have always been a hard worker but I am afraid, I am afraid that at this rate I will be switching majors like rabid dogs switching partners and eventually, I will quit school and I will be a disappointment to myself and to everybody. How do people find the thing called passion, pls tell me?
Your story brings back memories of my thoughts as I entered college way back when. I studied engineering, like my father and grandfather. Because I loved it? No. Because my father said it had the highest starting salary. I then got a masters degree in business. Did I love marketing or accounting? No. But you have to know them to run a business.
After graduation, I set out to seek my fortune in a new town that I had picked as the best place in the whole USA to live. Even then, I didn’t know what I wanted to do.
A small construction company hired me as its controller for my first job. While I enjoyed the financial side of the business, the company was having problems with its construction operations. So, I stepped in to fix it. I got my contracors license.
Then I went out on my own, and I’ve grown my company into a modest success.
My point is this: don’t think you have to know what you want to do at age 18. If you don’t know what you want to do, pick a high-paying field of study. Study hard and do well. Learn accounting and the basics of business.
Then, start out your first job with an understanding that it’s just your first step to finding out what you are good at. Follow your instincts and look for things you can do better than others. You will find that you like things in which you excel, and that is where you should focus.
‘’ You will find that you like things in which you excel’’, I really like that, it makes a lot of sense. Thank-you very much for your help.
Just take a bunch of classes in different subjects, and major in whichever subject in which you find you are enjoying the most classes.
Some people feel particular passion for a subject. Some do not. I did not. I enjoyed many subjects in college. I chose English just because I figured I would take an English course every semester anyway just for fun.
Your major may or may not be related to what you do for a career. It does not have to be.
Philosophy majors become investment bankers. Art history majors become doctors (as long as they take their 5 premed classes). Biology majors become lawyers. Etc.
And, as the last poster noted, you can change jobs and careers during your lifetime, too.
If you need to major in engineering to keep your scholarship, you may want to do so. And just take lots of other interesting classes, too. Or switch whenever you discover what you want to switch TO.
There is no emergency to get to a particular destination. Enjoy the journey!
@anihc This is one of the most thoughtful replies I’ve read on CC- It made my day- Thanks