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  • Albert Oliveira

Picking the Wrong Major


What picking the wrong major was like:

Switching majors led me to making one of the best choices in my life. If I can help just a single person in writing this post, someone whose been contemplating the same things that I once have, then I hope to do just that. As I've grown slightly older, I've realized that your major field of study shouldn't confine you or limit yourself as to what career you can pursue. I felt this way for a while until I realized that everyone, including myself, should give themselves the creative liberty of pursuing whatever career they wish. Throughout high school and from the beginning of my college career, I forced myself to be something that I wanted to be. I thought that I had always wanted to be a nurse and help others. But today, I look back and think it was foolish of me to pursue nursing because I was doing it for the wrong reasons.

Nurses have a noble profession in helping others through some of the most tumultuous times of a person's life. People mostly go to hospitals when something is seriously wrong. Nursing is a field that requires a tremendous undertaking from these caregivers, whether they might be working for pediatrics or physical rehabilitation. I saw how determined others around me wanted to be nurses. I wanted to be a nurse to make money and have a stable career, not because it was something I genuinely desired. My family told me it was a career I should take up and being young, and having no idea as to what I should do, it sounded reasonable to do what I was told to do.

Three years into college, after being accepted into my school's nursing program, I found myself miserable. I wasn't doing poorly in my classes, but I felt a lack of satisfaction. I also felt that being a nurse wasn't something I could picture myself doing as I grew older. Ultimately when it came time to register for classes, I realized that I wanted to pursue something that made me happy, which inevitably would lead me to success. It's challenging to move up in any career if you lack passion for your work. I chose to switch to marketing, and I remember knowing that it would take an extra year of classes, but that's just part of my journey. Life can be unpredictable, and I didn't picture myself being where I'm at today five years ago. Some people in my family continue to question my decision, but sometimes you must, do things for yourself and not just to please others. Concentrating on your own goals isn't a case of being selfish; rather, it's a matter of reaching your personal goals and expectations.

My career in marketing inevitability led me to join the National NMC/GenZ Community, an organization comprised of students and young professionals from different backgrounds and regions of the country. Being a part of this group and others have allowed me to meet many great people since switching majors, and, overall, I have been much happier. It was a difficult decision knowing that I've committed three years for nothing, but in the end, it wasn't for nothing. It was one of the many steps to be taken during life. For anybody who has been contemplating the same thing, they should know they aren't bound to their major; therefore, pursue what you want. Focus on yourself and what makes you happy.

Furthermore, don't allow your major to be a defining characteristic of who you are. I know many people who are working in fields unrelated to their majors and have great careers. Life is unpredictable. No matter how much we plan, this unpreditability is something we must all acknowledge.

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