Majors and minors and classes, oh my! While these are not necessarily the words Dorothy sang as she skipped down the yellow-brick road, they seem fitting for this post.
One of the three most commonly asked questions on Lipscomb’s campus is, “What is your major?” The answers are always different. Some students are majoring in the sciences (biology, chemistry, engineering) and others are taking a more liberal arts approach and pursuing an education in theater, communications or English. Even though the answers may vary, the reasoning behind the answer is usually the same.
College students across America pick their major based upon what they are passionate about. I am a journalism major because I love to write. There is something powerful about the written word. I am passionate about writing. A friend of mine is pursuing a degree in social work because she believes God is calling her to the mission field. She is passionate about helping other people. A guy in my math class is an accounting major simply because he loves math. But he’s passionate about it! Maybe passion isn’t the best thing to base your career off of, but then again, maybe it is.
One of my professors told his class that we should major in what we love. He asked us to picture our dream job. What do you want to do that you would be happy doing without being paid? Great question! I ask myself this every day now. As I started picking out my classes for next semester, I really had to figure out what I wanted to pursue. Am I willing to write and communicate news for free? Does my passion for writing coincide with the requirements that will be expected of me as a journalist? So far, my answer is yes.
At Lipscomb, you are required to have a major and a minor. Some people are not very happy about this, but it is actually a good thing. Your minor gives you the opportunity to pursue another interest that you may have, while still focusing on your main career goals. I am a physics minor. Yes, journalism and physics is the weirdest combination, I know. I hear that all the time. But I enjoy both of them. I took physics in high school and just loved it. My minor is a way for me to take classes that I enjoy and still have them count for something. A minor in physics can also help me with my journalism career if I choose to report science-related news. Most of the minors at Lipscomb require 18 credit hours.
So now I ask you, what do you want to do that you would be happy doing without being paid? If you’re like I was in high school, you’re probably not really sure what you want to do. Maybe you have some ideas about things you’d like to do, but you’re not really passionate about it. That is OK. You have some time to think about it and pray about it. I know the pressure is heavy on you to decide what you’re going to do, but don’t stress. Your passions will reveal themselves soon enough.
Below are some links to some fun and interesting careers. You can browse through the jobs and then come back and comment on this post and tell me what your favorite ones are.
The 50 Weirdest Jobs in the World
For those of you in college now, what is your major? What made you decide to pursue a degree in that field?
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