Choosing a Major

     Hello readers! Welcome back to Thinks and Thoughts! Today I have some tips for you, as I so often do, regarding how to decide on a major in college. I'm sure if you're close to that point in your life you've heard over and over again how people are undecided even during college and how often times people will switch majors. Although it is common to switch your major or go into college undecided, it can be very costly. Lucky for you, I've got some tips for you since I just went through this whole mess for myself!
     The first tip I have is this: take an aptitude test! I cannot even begin to explain how much easier this made the decision. Not only does an aptitude test assess both your skill and your interest in specific areas, but your counselor will be able to look at it and suggest careers to you that you have never even heard of. I decided on a major in art therapy. If you think I knew what that was before I took my aptitude test, you're wrong.
     Tip number one was the perfect lead in to my second tip: research different careers.  I honestly can't even begin to talk about the number of careers out there. For every career you can think of, there are 20 more sub-careers within that one. For example, most nurses will just refer to themselves as a nurse. However, they could be an addictions nurse, a forensic nurse, a nurse practitioner, a parish nurse, a home healthcare nurse, a travel nurse, a transplant nurse, or even a nurse anesthetist. The list goes on and on and on. So, make sure to research different careers and look into each one that sounds interesting because maybe "nurse" by itself just isn't specifically what you want to do.
     The last tip I have for you is to follow your heart and don't worry about other people's opinions. I know this sounds super cheesy but I think being happy in your career is just as important as having a "good" career. People tell me all the time I could do anything I wanted. I could be a doctor, or a lawyer, or a mad scientist. Guess what, people? I want to do art therapy. The only person that is going to have to go to that job every day and experience it is me. So follow your heart and do what makes you happy. A "good" career isn't the one that makes you the most money or gives you the best reputation. A "good" career is one that you enjoy and one that you'll be happy with for the rest of your life.