AUGUST 2019

ack to SCHOOL
Choosing a major
Tips to help students figure out what they want to do when they “grow up”
BY RENNA SARAFA
“
I
want to be an actress,” is what
I wrote when my third-grade
teacher asked our class to write
down what we wanted to be when we
grew up. To say the least, that is not
the case today. However, that day my
friend sitting next to me wrote down
“I want to be a doctor”. She is now a
pre-med student at the University of
Michigan.
Some people are extremely lucky
to know what professions they want
to pursue for the rest of their lives
when they are very young. Even
those who know what they are going
to major in when they graduate
from high school are blessed. During
my senior year of high school, I knew
of many Chaldeans in my class who
knew what job they wanted to have
after college or were already admitted
to a specific program where their
profession was almost guaranteed.
Although this may be the case
for some, most high school students
don’t know what they want to study
when they go off to college. I was one
of those students who had no idea
what I wanted to do before I began
classes at Michigan State University.
When my orientation advisor asked
me what I would be studying, there
was no easy answer. I felt like I had to
decide what I was going to do for the
rest of my life right in that moment.
Thankfully, I talked to many
older students and wiser adults who
told me otherwise. They helped me
remember that I was still only 18 and
that the rest of my life is supposed to
be about figuring out who I am and
what I love. I began to feel more at
ease and comfortable with the idea of
seeing which direction things took.
For any soon-to-be college students
who do not know what major
they want to declare, here are some
tips that might help you plan:
Go through a process of elimination
- If you don’t know what you
want to major in, go through a list of
the majors your college or university
offers and eliminate those you know
you would not want to study. For
example, when I was going through
MSU’s list of majors, I immediately
crossed off engineering because I did
not enjoy my physics classes in high
school. This process of elimination
was what led me to my final decision
to apply to MSU’s Eli Broad College
of Business. Not only does crossing
off these majors shorten your
options, it also allows you to realize
what you might be interested in
learning about.
Reflect on what you are interested
in - Once you have narrowed
down your list of options for your major,
you can assess which academic
pathway you might want to pursue.
Most universities offer brief descriptions
on their websites of the classes
within a certain major. These sites
provide students with a sneak peek
about what they will be learning in
the class, how it is set up, and what
the expectations are of each student.
You may not like all the classes that
your major offers. However, remember
that each class you are required
to take for your major will be beneficial
for you in your long-term career
path. Eli Broad’s College of Business
requires all its students to take two
accounting classes. Even though I do
not plan on ever pursuing a career
in accounting, those classes taught
me more about business than I ever
thought I would understand. These
tools are convenient for those who
are undecided like I was.
Gain experience with work -
The best way to figure out what
life is like after college is to gain
experience with jobs and internships.
Working when you are young
provides many benefits you will use
throughout your lifetime. It is the
only way to get a clear understanding
of what you get out of knowledge
you gain in school. Throughout my
teenage years, I worked in many different
industries to expand my horizons.
Each internship I had helped
me conceptualize what I want to do
in my professional life. It was not
until my internship this summer
that I decided to declare a finance
major from MSU’s Business College.
Working also allows you to build
a strong personal resume. I have
found that having a solid resume
communicates to employers that
you are credible and that you have
multiple skill sets. Finally, working
teaches you professional behaviors
and communication skills that you
will use your entire lifetime.
There’s always time to change
- As I previously mentioned, it was
not until this summer going into my
junior year of college that I decided I
wanted to focus on finance in school.
Originally my major was human resources.
It is very common for students
to switch their major during
their college years, even more than
once. If you are not content with
what you are currently studying, talk
to your advisor about other major
options that might be more interesting
to you. It is also common for
people to change their career path.
If you declare a certain major you
are not required to practice within
that field until you retire. Even the
most successful people did not start
off what they are doing now. For example,
most of us know Ken Jeong as
the hilarious comedian from movies
like The Hangover movie trilogy and
Dr. Ken TV series. It was not until
I recently went down a Google rabbit
hole that I found out that before
he became a professional actor and
comedian, he was actually a medical
doctor. No matter what major you
choose, remember that nothing is
permanent and change can be a good
thing.
The list of decision-making factors
for choosing a college major
could go on and on. At the end of
the day, your undergraduate major
does not tell your life story. It is how
you tell the story of what you learn
from your studies and your work that
defines you. Reflect on the choices
you are faced with. Pray for guidance
and divine wisdom. Decide for yourself
without trying to please others
with your decision. It is your life, so
do what makes you happy. As Walt
Disney said… if you can dream it,
you can do it!
18 CHALDEAN NEWS AUGUST 2019