Career Indecision/Choosing a Major
Consider these points if you are you having trouble deciding on or committing to a major:
"I like so many things! I can���t make up my mind what to choose! If I pick one, I���ll be turning away from all these other things I want to do."
If this is your problem, ask yourself these questions:
- Do I have trouble making other decisions in general?
- Do I tend to fear committing to things because I could be wrong and then wouldn't know what to do?
- Do I enjoy learning new things, but get bored if I have to delve too deeply into any one thing?
- Do I tend to score evenly on interest tests because I really am interested in almost all those things?
- Am I able to explore my broad variety of interest in ways outside of a major or career?
"I���ve picked my major. I���ll be great at it, everyone says so! I���m getting great grades and my professors are noticing my hard work and talent. So, why am I unhappy? Why do I feel like this is not what I really want to be doing? This isn���t supposed to be happening!"
If this sounds like you, ask yourself these questions:
- Am I afraid that all these people are seeing something in me that isn���t there and I���ll end up failing them, and myself?
- Am I afraid that I can succeed at this major and career path, and that could mean changes I might not be ready for?
- Is there another major and possible career path that really interests me more, but isn���t what others are expecting me to do?
"I don���t really see anything I���d really like to do! I���m having trouble deciding on a major because nothing really excites or interests me."
If this sounds like you, ask yourself these questions:
- Do I tend to have trouble feeling really excited or interested in other things in my life; do things generally feel "blah"?
- Have I really explored all my options or have I been looking in only certain ���expected��� or ���popular��� places for the right major/career path?
- If I can���t quite find the career path, I know I will love, am I willing to search for the career path that I would enjoy?
"I actually know what I love doing. There���s just one problem. It is a completely impractical thing to want to do and my family isn���t going to support me if I pursue that fantasy!"
If this sounds like you, ask yourself these questions:
- Have I convinced myself that I will never earn a living doing what I love?
- How do I know for sure that I won���t get the support I want?
- Am I willing to take some low risk steps towards pursuing my fantasy?
*This information was adapted from Barbara Sher and Barbara Smith's book I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It.
Due to state licensing laws, students must be residing in Maryland to be eligible for Let���s Talk, assessment, and therapy services. Consider Togetherall, a 24/7 confidential peer to peer mental wellness resource, free to all enrolled 91心頭 students. . The Counseling Center located in Humanities 150 is open M-F from 8:30am until 5pm (EST) and closed when the university is closed. If you would like to make an appointment with a counselor, schedule an appointment online, stop by our office, or call 410-617-2273.
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