Thursday, May 8, 2014

Confessions From A Former Double Major

As I wrap up my sophomore year, I can't believe how much every thing has changed over the past year. This time last year, I was looking into getting my MD in psychiatry. Now, I'm looking at graduate programs to become a journalist. It's amazing how 365 days can change a person.
When I filled out the paper work to be a double major in English and Psychology, I thought that I was the best person ever. If you asked me what I was going to be, I was going to be a social worker, and doing a lot of school. However, it didn't work out that way.
Within six months, I couldn't take the pressure. To become a psychiatrist, you need really good grades. Every tests had to be an A. I had to make Dean's List.
And when I failed three tests, I knew that I had a problem.
However, the real defining moment for me was when I was doing oral presentations for my intro to mental health class. Most people talked about when they went to that class, they had a feeling that this was what they wanted to do for the rest of their life. However, I didn't have that feeling for whatever reason.
Where did I have that feeling? I had that feeling whenever I left my journalism class. And when I wrote my articles, which would be done by Wednesday. My deadline was Friday. Needless to say, I loved writing for people and knowing that people read it.
Needless to say, mental health 0, journalism 1.
Within a few months of my fall semester, I changed my major. However, my GPA was brought down a .13, and I barely scraped by one of my classes. However, I did learn something from that experience. I learned my limit. Yes, Lindsay Lohan says that the limit doesn't exist. But my limit was having one major not two. My limit is not spending hours and hours studying. I can't handle that, and of course in the process did do some damage.
When I go into my fall 2014 semester, I'm going to be taking three writing classes, two English, one journalism. I however have no goals going in, other than to try to do the best that I possibly can. And if I don't have my license, to get my license. My goal is to create a balance, and not to overwhelm myself with work, school, and to always make time for myself. I think that's more important to try to get the most skills in my classes, rather than an A. I rather collect knowledge, read lots of books, and talk about what I'm thinking, and I want to take classes and have experiences that would lead me to that.
To the people out there who are considering becoming a double major, it's hard. However, if you think that you can handle it, power to you. Know your limits, talk to your advisors, and they will be happy to help you. Don't put pressure on yourself, and it's okay to admit defeat if you're not sure of what you're doing is right. Remember that if you fail a test it's not the end of the world. Treat yourself, because sometimes you will accomplish amazing things, and hey you got to have some justification for buying all of those shoes? Not everyone keeps their major for freshman year. And, when you guys do graduate take a bow because you earned it.
And as for me? I took the semester off by taking four classes instead of five. I don't regret anything, but I'm happier in my field. I look foreword to taking my W classes, because not only it's something that I really enjoy, it's something that I will in fact be doing for the rest of my life. 

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