Deciding a Major = Deciding Your Life?

I have a couple of friends who are undecided in their majors, one of which described it as “Being lost in the ocean with no visible shore to swim to.” I have two majors and I feel safe saying that I feel exactly the same way. It’s a pathetic type of paralysis that can be categorized as a school of college-wishy-washy thought.

I’m a firm believer in the song “Que Sera.” I’m not even sure who sings it, but as far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t matter. I like to think that choosing a major is more about choosing something that pertains to your interests and the rest will work out. Sure, there are majors in which people will make more money (engineering, accounting) but those are usually things that interest those people as well. I can sense when someone’s an engineer because they’ll take objects around them and try to figure out why, or how they work. I once went to an amusement park with four engineers. All they did was discuss the joints and how the structures were held together and such. It was interesting, yes, but not something I think about upon looking at a structure, or a foot stool.

I like to think that things will fall into place if you’re doing something you love. If not, it will be more of a struggle for you. The reason people survive pre-med is because they want to be there. They’re interested in that. Could I do pre-med? Probably, maybe. But I think it would be more of a struggle for me because I would lack the determination and drive that everyone else there has.

The problem people have with choosing a major is because it’s a label. It’s this word that has so much meaning, so much purpose for some people. It’s something that you’re supposed to feel proud of. It’s also supposed to tell people what you want to do with your life. Such a loaded statement. Does anyone know what they want to do with their lives?

In all honesty, I don’t want to do anything with my life. The phrase, the action, makes it seems like life is Play-Dough and you’re molding it into something you want. I just want life to happen to me and me to happen to life. I want a healthy, mutual relationship with ample communication and pleasure. I don’t want to enforce my ideals upon life and then be disappointed when I don’t make six figures and have a big house. I just want to be happy.

Ohio State’s homepage for “Exploration” (i.e. Undecided) majors

The unfortunateness of this is that it’s not what people do, or are expected to do. Which means that telling my friends things like, “everything will be alright” or “whatever will be will be” is not reassuring; it just makes me sound like a flaky existentialist. But it’s honestly all I got. Take it or leave it.