If you don’t know what you want to do with your life, it’s okay — most people don’t. Some people go to college and get a degree and then realize that they hate it. Some people go to college and get a degree just to land a job and realize that they’re unhappy. Don’t let that be you. Here are 5 tips on why you should ignore what everyone else says and pick a major that you know you love:

  1. Doing something you love means that you’ll be more motivated. If you’ve had issues with procrastination, choosing a major that you love will likely help you rid of that bad habit. If you’re interested in astronomy and you take a class on the stars, you’ll be more willing to read the text and learn. The same applies to all majors. Once you find something that sparks your interest, you will be more willing to consume knowledge on that subject. So it’s a win-win!
  2. Money doesn’t buy happiness. Being a STEM (science, technology, engineering, & math) major is something that people choose because they see dollar signs in their future. While that can be true in some cases, money won’t make you happy if you hate your job. Imagine landing a job based on your major. Would you be happy working 9-5, 5 days a week, 40 hours a week? If the answer is no, don’t do it. You might make a lot of money but sacrificing happiness is a huge price to pay for an extra 0 on your paycheck.
  3. Your major almost never matters… (but I didn’t tell you that)! According to this article from the Washington Post, only 27% of college grads have a job that directly relates to their major. Most graduates seldom land the job that they hoped they would– but it’s usually something similar. Don’t spend 4+ years of your life studying something that you hate.
  4. The grass always looks greener on the other side. Humans naturally compare themselves to their peers. I’m a journalism major and I wouldn’t trade it for the world but sometimes I look at my friend who’s a nursing major and I wonder how her future is set in stone while mine is a mystery. It takes me a second to step back and realize that it’s okay. No one knows where they’re going and just because someone looks better off doesn’t mean that they actually are. Nothing is certain. Pick a major that you love because you love it — not because you think it’ll bring you certainty and/or success. 
  5. You love it. Every single person on this planet has a passion for something. You wouldn’t care about something, (politics, climate change, reporting) if you didn’t love it. So love it. Find a major that you love and let it consume you.

Side note: Sometimes it takes people years to find a major that they love and that makes them happy. It’s okay. Sometimes, ‘time’ just needs time to work its magic.