My first semester of freshmen year I took a math class (and as you are now aware of our relationship, it was a battle). During this first semester I started to investigate other majors offered at the school and none of those appealed to me. Then I started to research things I found interest in (such as the parts of CS I enjoy, music, aspects of business, etc.) I was in search of a major that could include as many of these things as possible. I wanted a major where I wasn’t stifled, I’d hopefully have many different fields and career paths to lead, and I wasn’t metaphorically stuck in a box. My search led to many different majors, however the one I kept coming back to was digital communications. I got to delve into the interesting parts of CS, possibly work on graphic design, look at the way that digital communication is changing the world (specifically through marketing), and learn marketable and interesting skills. I’ve found that while you can theoretically learn about a field in school, you’ll only actually learn the skillset needed while on the job and doing the job. However, this major allows me to gain a practical skillset while in school. You don’t want to just choose a major because “You like the subject or ‘think’ you’re interested.” I believe I’m jumping through too many hoops for something that if I wasn’t passionate about or had those thoughts about would be a waste of time. Time is money, especially when that equates to tuition.
Advice- Find something that holds your interests and you’ll want to stick with is the best thing you can possibly do in concern to self-designing or just choosing a major in general. Don’t just choose something that you like in the moment, but something you could envision doing in the long run.
