When I went for my bachelor’s degree fresh out of high school, I was convinced that I would be a registered nurse. My aunt, who I looked up to since I was a little girl, was a nurse so I wanted to be one too. My mother was okay with my decision. She just wanted me to “major in a trade”. However, come second semester of my freshman year, that quickly changed. After struggling through chemistry, I no longer wanted to be a nurse. Besides, I have a weak stomach. And, people with weak stomachs should stay away from the medical field. Realizing this, I didn’t choose a new major right away. I just took up some general courses until I decided, with the help of a friend, to major in English.

Why English? In general, English majors aren’t known for their high salaries or job security. But a friend of mine, a prospective law student, had convinced me that what I majored in during undergrad didn’t matter as long as I planned on getting a graduate degree. Of course this doesn’t apply to all situations, but it certainly applied to mine. I knew that a degree in English would allow me to be flexible enough to enter a number of graduate programs related to my interests, which didn’t include math or science. I chose English because it bought me some time to think about what I really wanted to do. I also knew that I would eventually need a graduate degree to remain competitive during tough economic times and that I would eventually want to teach to make extra money if I needed to.

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The outcome: I’ve got a great career with a great salary and benefits. Also, I learned how not to choose a major. Don’t choose a major because you want to be like someone else or because you want to please your parents. Choose a major because you are genuinely interested in a particular field and because you’re naturally gifted in a certain area. Other reasons that shouldn’t be the sole factor in your decision include money and choosing a major because you think it’s easy. Don’t choose a major just because it pays well unless your true love is making money. However, average salary for your chosen field should be a concern. And, to those of you who’re thinking of majoring in English because you think it will be a breeze: Forget about it! Unless your definition of “easy” is reading novels and writing papers each and every weekend for the next 3-4 years, choose something else. I once made the mistake of taking four English courses in one semester. Let’s just say my social life suffered that spring.