<p>What if I wanted to be an architect, study physics, be an engineer, be an amazing artist...etc. etc. I want to do everything, and in wanting to do everything I can choose nothing?</p>
<p>I am literally killing myself here... I have a semester of college under my belt and I am starting to feel the weight of impending decisions crushing my brain! </p>
<p>Any guidance?</p>
<p>I was in your exact spot once upon a time. Not only did I have interests in many things, but I was reasonably good at many things. It wasn’t so tough to pick something as much as it was tough to let some things go. I had chosen majors several times, only to jump back to something else that I just couldn’t let go. I think my major ended up to be what I was considering when the 11th hour came.</p>
<p>I wish I had some great advice for you. In retrospect, I am not at all sure that I made the right decision. While I like some aspects of my work, there are definitely some missing parts that I am now trying to decide how to fulfill. I might even change career paths, so don’t go by me. I am just saying that I empathize.</p>
<p>Are the things you mentioned the things you are actually interested in? If so, they have related backgrounds so you might not be straying on widely different paths. You probably can’t go wrong starting out with calc, physics, english comp and an art class. Other things that may help you are visiting a counselor or advisor at school, as well as trying to work or shadow in the field(s) you are considering.</p>
<p>yeah I feel exactly what you describe, Im a smart kid and I know I can exceed in many different career paths its the letting go of other options that stings a little. I feel as if from birth to this point my life has been a straight road elementary school, middle, high school…the path is laid before us. Now I feel as if my life can branch out in a million directions and picking the right path is the most daunting task I’ve ever had.</p>
<p>Maybe I’m thinking about it to much, but I just want whats best for me.</p>
<p>Good luck to you! :)</p>
<p>Let go of the idea that you are going to find the “BEST” choice. There are lots of GREAT choices. Pick one and go with it for awhile. And change your major or your career later if you need to. Lots of people do.</p>
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<p>Not so much a smart kid as an arrogant one. You can’t even use apostrophes or distinguish between ‘to’ and ‘too’, nice try though.</p>
<p>^ That was not a constructive comment. I don’t think that most people analyze their posts for grammatical correctness.</p>
<p>2bizee makes a good suggestion. Just start out with some decision and modify or discard it as necessary. Sometimes the hardest part is taking the first step.</p>
<p>Anyways…</p>
<p>Thanks for the CONSTRUCTIVE comments lkf and 2biz, I suppose your right I think I will just pick something and if that doesn’t work out I can always change later on down the road.</p>
<p>Hmmm…my D is in this boat. LOVED music from birth! Everything about it from theory to performance to composition. Played several instruments and sings. Until 10th grade…it was music all the way. But she’s also VERY “academic”. And EXTREMELY curious (like OP, it sounds). Right now she’s struggling with how to fit it all in. Happened during high school too. Succeeds in everything. But didn’t really follow ONE path enough to really excel. She wants to read every book ever written, and study philosophy and theology, and physics, and music and drama. And it just goes on and on. And they’re all very different paths. But she NEEDS to be in the honors programs to get scholarships, yet she NEEDS to be involved in EVERY club and choir and horse program and…Yikes! I understand your dilemma.</p>
<p>So…my ONLY advice, and it’s not much:
DON’T consider studying at Oxford. You pick ONE subject and study ONLY that and cannot change it.</p>
<p>DO consider “outside the box” options such as programs where you create your own major. I’m sure they’re all over. NYU’s Gallatin comes to mind.</p>
<p>DO know which things will help you get a job, and which you can “study” or be involved in on your own (study physics but join a choral ensemble). </p>
<p>DO know what you need to do NOW, and what you could learn later. You NEED tons of math for your engineering, physics…but you CAN take art classes at a local art center until you’re um…99 years old. </p>
<p>DO experience all these options if you can. My daughter only casully spoke of physics until she finally ended up in a class when transferring out of another class in 12th grade (like you…she’s WAIVERING). And a lightbulb came on! She doesn’t dig math as much as right brained subjects, so I didn’t think she’d LOVE physics. But she’s maniacal. Over 100% in the class, goes in early for extra credit (just to “play with the toys”). Says an upcoming field trip to a State University to play with “bigger and more dangerous toys” is THE most exciting school field trip she’s ever been on (and she’s been on wonderful out of state national competitions). </p>
<p>That’s it. No magic. You can make someone else decide so you’ll have them to blame if you’re unhappy. Let’s face it - you’ll probably change your major at least once AND still not work in that field. At least that’s where the odds point. </p>
<p>So do what you love. Whatever that is. Dabble if you must. Maybe you can afford to take longer and get 2-3 majors and use 5 years to get your undergrad degree. Any knowledge is worthwhile.</p>
<p>Son is similar to your daughter. Loves music and has talent, considered performance major. Great academically, too. Ended up graduating summa cum laude in engineering but played in a chamber orchestra, plays guitar and composes for pleasure. He’s in grad school now, but music will always be an avocation. There are ways to juggle your interests.</p>
<p>In this thread: Parents brag about their children.</p>
<p>jealous? tenchar</p>
<p>Your problem isn’t that you’re the opposite of undecided; it’s just that you’re undecided, albeit in an optimistic way. Deciding what path you want to wander down can be a journey in itself, but there are things you can do. Try talking to people in different careers you’re interested in and asking them what it’s like, try learning (through classes or solo research) as much as possible about the different fields and find out what you’re interested in, and see if you can get some kind of internship position that would give you hands-on experience. If worse comes to worse, though, remember: an imperfect decision is often far better than none at all.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE=Unholy Sigma]
In this thread: Parents brag about their children.
[/quote]
QFT. 10 char</p>
<p>You are just like everybody else…most people with marginally competent brains are good at and enjoy many subjects. unfortunately just pick something and go with it. If it helps, throw a bunch into a hat and pick one. Or… pick which one has the best future on bls.gov
Or… pick which you have the best grades in after 2 years and do prereq courses which overlap several fields…
Or, out of what you want, pick the one your current school is best at.
Plenty of ways to control it and keep your personal opinion of that day out of the mix.</p>
<p>What is probably certain is, you will not feel any different about your interests 10-20 years down the road. At least as far as being some kind of expert robotic like work drone in a particular field. Also, you could very well have completely different life interests. We are in a specialized advanced capitalistic society, so experts in field are needed, but perhaps that is not as enjoyable…?</p>
<p>As far as your post, perhaps you need to do some self reflection. Reading your post tipped me off as to the commonality in your efforts, and it looks to be you might be following these for prestige sake. Is it you want to be prestigious in a certain field, or do you want to be prestigious for the prestige it will give to your ego?</p>
<p>The easiest way to get full enjoyment I would thing is to do an interdisciplinary approach in heavy all encompassing core and less vocational subjects such as Math, Philosophy, English…</p>
<p>These are also good subjects to finish undergrad, work for another 5 years, then go back to school for something else in…</p>
<p>I have been contemplating interdisciplinary tracks of study. Unfortunately, I feel like the future our culture is heading towards I need to “career based” degree to be even have a chance of landing a job?</p>
<p>conroy you are right in the sense that corporate america is becoming more vocational and career based… but fortunately that isn’t the only place to work… gov/nfp/academia are other fine choices, I prefer them actually…
you could also just be an entrepreneur…probably much happier as you have complete control whether you are marginally successful or a multi millionaire… either way you have yourself to blame and not at the mercy of office politics or tenure on that next promotion…</p>
<p>conroy you are right in the sense that corporate america is becoming more vocational and career based… but fortunately that isn’t the only place to work… gov/academia are other fine choices, I prefer them actually…
you could also just be an entrepreneur…probably much happier as you have complete control whether you are marginally successful or a multi millionaire… either way you have yourself to blame and not at the mercy of office politics or tenure on that next promotion…</p>