i'm wondering how many others question their major. i'm goin got psych. i love psychology...as in i love learning it. i'm not so sure about practicing it. it is what i always thought i wanted to do but the more i think about it i really want to own a bar. i plan to finish my degree b/c i only have a year left. everyone i talk to says everyone questions their major. i know its not just me...but if anyone has anything to share on the subject it might be comforting (esp. coz none of my friends are in college)
Oh yes. I remember changing at least twice during undergrad. I'm not sure exactly as I don't major in psychology, but I have had friends who finished their degree (in psych) and then went on to do other things in life, having jobs that had nothing to do with what they studied. Note: this happens a lot of the time, not only to psych majors! So don't feel alarmed. I'm under the impression also that psych, like a general science undergrad deg, doesn't go anywhere and you need specialization, graduate school or even phD to do something more with it. It depends how dedicated or determined you are, and how much you love your area of expertise. If you feel you want to explore more by taking a minor or doing a double major... or dare I suggest another degree, and you can afford it financially and time-wise, then why not? I say go for it. If not, take it as it comes and try to read up and research more about your options after graduation. Make the right connections and try to get experience volunteering, working. You may gain helpful insights from people in the field who, who knows, may inspire you further.
I changed my major three times during my undergrad...sometimes you just have to take classes to figure out if you like it or not (that's why I always suggest going to community college first...it's cheaper...so you aren't "wasting" too much money trying to figure out what you want to do with your life)... If you're almost finished...I would probably try and finish the degree though...depends on what you're thinking of switching to, I suppose.
really that right there is were i'm having a problem. the isn't a lot of in the field job options for undergrads. i always thought ya i'll go for psych and i get my doctoral and i'll be a psychologist. that's been the plan since i was 15. the idea of grad school is very intimidating. and that takes dedication that i'm not sure if i have. i met with my advisor the other day and realized i've never considered any other possiblility. i have a very good chance of getting hired as a drug and alcohol couselor after graduation so i figure i'll do that and see how it goes.
I know so many people that don't go into a field of work pertinant to their major. A friend from High School majored in East European studies...what is she doing now? She's a bartender...LOL What is she going to do? Good question...glad I'm not her. It will work out...I think a drug and alcohol counselor wouldn't be too bad of a gig to start out.
Thanks, Wonderboy. Applying for grad school is intimidating. It sounds like you may need to find a goal in sight before you commit to anything. There can be advisors coming out of the ears but no one can do the search but yourself. DancerAnnie is right, don't feel too lost if you graduate and find not just a job, but a whole career unrelated to what you've studied for ~4 years. I always try to enjoy what I'm studying and it doesn't feel like a chore - sometimes it works, other times you have to take courses that are plain ick. That you're seeing your advisor and trying to map out your options is a good start! Drug and alcohol councellor sounds pretty interesting. Maybe you might even decide to move on up, do more school after some years working, and... well, not to sound cheesy, but the world is waiting. As a sidenote, regarding bartending, there are some demanding shifts but as far as I'm concerned it makes pretty good money depending on where you work. If your friend is happy, Annie, I'm not quite sure what there is to look down upon. People find their passions and ambitions at any stage, and not all so academically inclined, blessed or have their lives so clearly mapped out from the start. I have a very close friend who was a drop out of highschool and college who had really no plan whatsoever in his twenties. He worked as a mailman and various other jobs that seemed dead-end. Something kicked in, he headed to wall street, NY, and is now one of the top managers in the world financial building, has an office the size of some peoples' apartments and is paid in six digits, US. So don't lose hope over not immediately finding motivation in what you're doing right now. Keep pluggin, keep a sharp eye out for opportunities and never sell yourself short. Whatever it is, enjoy what you do.
WEll, my friend is certainly not happy working as a bartender. She's quite ambitious, which is why she took on Eastern European studies in the first place, so being stuck working in a bar (and those are her words) is depressing. I guess she didn't think of what she was really going to do with her degree...but she knew she was interested in that sort of thing.
As a current first-year grad student, my advice is to take some time off. Even if you were sure you have the dedication, most of the successful grad students I've known (as in, the ones who didn't burn out in the first couple of years or become career-students) had taken some time off at some point. I took a few years off between high school and undergrad, then went straight into grad school... We'll see how that one works out! But, if you went straight into college after graduating hs, definitely take a year or two off to get some real world experience. Of course, an added benefit of this course of action is that it takes off some of the pressure to figure it all out now. Finish this degree, then take a couple of years off school as a constructive time to rest, gain experience (experience working as a counselor will look good on grad aps!).. Then, when you are comfortable, under less pressure to decide, you will figure out whether you really do have the dedication needed. If you never make it back to school, as long as you have a job that makes you happy, so be it.
I had one idea of what I wanted to major in before I went to college. Then I had a different idea when I got to college. Before the end of my first semester I changed my mind again. I'm not working in my major field today. I think it's better to change your major very early in your time at college. Otherwise, you're scrambling around to schedule prerequisites and other courses.
LOL. I have changed my mind so many times, my dad calls and says "so what are you majoring in this month" and usually it is something different. hehehe.
thanks everyone for your reply's. i've thought about it alot and i'm goin to finish my degree and do my internship as a drug and alcohol counselor. i'm goin to hold off on grad school for now. maybe in a few years i'll have a clearer idea of what i want to do. thanks again, none of good friend go to college and the friends i have at college are so sure of their goals. its nice to be able to have somewhere to go with these problems.
I suppose I'm a little late in my reply, but if you're thinking of owning a business, it's actually a really good thing to have an understanding of psychology, anyway. It certainly won't hurt.
