<p>Hello :)! So, I joined this site about 5 minutes ago because I'm having a HUGE panic attack about college. Basically, I'm a senior in high school and already applied & got accepted to my top school, so I didn't even apply to any others, figuring I wouldn't need to. Now, it's almost the middle of January and I'm stuck with one college I can go to that I have no major in! Over the past few years, I've debated and changed my career of choice a hundred times. I've wanted to become a music teacher- then I saw what was happening to music programs throughout the country in this economy, also, I'm a horrible audition-er therefore I guarantee I wouldn't be accepted for that major. I wanted to become a vet technician, but then took a vet assistant program online and realized I'm too stupid/lazy for the field. I wanted to become a social worker, then realized it's not truly what I'd be happy doing, and they get paid crap. Theeeen, I wanted to become a psychologist, but there's truly no jobs until you at least have your masters- and it's limited. Now, after countless choices and searching, I've changed my major to communications because it's the only major left that is a possibility for me at the college I've been accepted to. I researched that, and realized that it's a pointless degree as I'd be a "jack of all trades but master of one".
Honestly, all I see myself doing in life is being funny, working as a special effects makeup artist, or something along those lines. I'm constantly being told one day I'll be famous. And I'd love to become a comedian/actress/special effects artist, but those are such risks that I don't want to take and end up regretting. Also, I really want to experience the college life. I just don't want to regret my decisions when I'm young because it'll be a waste of my time when I'm older.</p>
<p>you are funny, and you do write well. and given what you’ve done in not applying to any other colleges would make me panic, too. wait, it did make me panic. I did the same thing 40 years ago!</p>
<p>as you can see, I survived the panic attack. you will, too.</p>
<p>and you will figure out what you want to major in because you’re going off on this wonderful, exciting, stupendous adventure that will introduce you to all kinds of ideas that will thrill your soul. and with the help of your teachers, friends, parents, and counselor you’ll settle on a single passion on which to focus. that doesn’t mean you’re not interested in anything else, just that you’re going to educate yourself for the next year or two in that subject more than any other. </p>
<p>it’s not a life commitment. just a major. I majored in chemistry because I absolutely loved it. quantum mechanics was just entering the average undergraduate curriculum then and sophomore year I hopped on that metaphysical quandary and rode it for the rest of my life. most of my major had nothing to do with an education in quantum mechanics, of course, but I stuck with those courses cause people in those courses liked to talk about qm. some of them even knew what they were talking about as well as I did, and the teachers knew even more. I was in heaven. </p>
<p>I still am, but I do something that has next to nothing to do with chemistry let alone qm. It’s fascinating in its own right. I was passionate about it for a long time. It brought me much pleasure and might yet again. But the qm and science in general has stuck with me, and my son caught the bug when he was young because I was so enthusiastic about science. Now he’s a chem major and I get to have wonderful conversations with him about the developments in many fields of science and social science. Do I have a great life or what? But now I’ve got the bug for early renaissance Italian painting (probably because back in college I took so many art history courses just for fun), and I have a daughter who just returned from Florence and we spend hours talking art. Did I mention that I have a great life?</p>
<p>So if you want to have a great life, go to the college at which you were accepted. Or fall in love with some other school. You’ve still the time to apply by January 15th or February 1st or even later with some schools. Most of the time it doesn’t matter where you go, but what you do there. Give everything you have to every class. You’ll find your passion. If it’s not at that school, then you can transfer. It’s not the end of the world if you have to transfer (but it is expensive if you need merit) or if you major in one thing and your passion changes to something else. But keep following the passion and take time to develop others. Working in your passion is ideal, but plenty of people still have their passions outside of work. You can, too. Breathe in your passion; blow out your anxiety.</p>
<p>Just take a lot of classes that you’re interested in. You may find something new and end up loving it. For example, my cousin went to school as a political science intended major and then graduated with a civil engineering degree.</p>
<p>Don’t stress. A lot of schools have pushed deadlines back to the 15th and there are plenty of schools that offer rolling admissions-that is if you do decide to apply somewhere else.</p>