It's every student's worst nightmare: you've worked for four long, hard years in college, only to discover that you hate--absolutely hate--the career path that your major determined for you. Imagine sitting in classes, toiling over homework for long hours, only to find out that hey, nursing really isn't something you enjoy after all!

I had a lot of trouble deciding which major I would pursue during my senior year of high school. I've always been more of a creative/artsy person than a math/science guru, so naturally, I wasn't contemplating biology or chemistry or anything crazy like that. I, in the end, grativated most towards being an English major. And then, while doing some research on the Princeton Review website, realized that there would be many more opportunities available to me if I chose a second major.

So, when I arrived at CUC, I declared a double major in English and communications with an emphasis in public relations. Both these majors were, in theory, perfect for me. I love to read and write and share my opinion (obviously!), and I'd like to think I have fairly competent creative skills in the areas that my majors are involved with, such as advertising.

At the end of my sophomore year at CUC, I had to take the first course associated with my English major called ENGL 245 -- Critical Approaches to Literature. This sounds a little hard, but it's English, so it can't be too bad, right?

Wrong. ENGL 245 was the hardest class I've ever--EVER--taken in my life. It wasn't "memorize-all-the-bones-in-the-body-for-A&P" hard, but more of a "If I try to cram any more information in my head, it's going to explode. No, really."

ENGL 245 is the true test of an English major, and yes, I passed and did quite well in the class, considering how daunting it seemed on that first day. But ENGL 245 showed me more than how to work hard for your "A"--that class showed me that really, I didn't want to sit and talk about literary theories. What I wanted to do was write and research and read. That new line of thinking dragged me over to my familiar stomping grounds at the Communication Department, where I spoke with former professor Dr. Stacy Spaulding about switching my English major to a print journalism minor. After I did the appropriate paperwork and signed up for my new classes for the following semester, I was thrilled.

Lucky for me, I found out what I really wanted to do--PR, not "PR & English"--just in time. I had just completed most of my generals, and was beginning my core class track, so luckily I didn't lose any valuable time--or credit hours.

I love the classes I'm in this semester, by the way. I'm taking Persuasion and Propaganda, News Media History, Intro to Intercultural Communication and a few others. I love the critical thinking and research that goes into each class, and it's exciting to learn for me. There's nothing more fulfilling than choosing what you want to do, and finding out you love it.

To find out more about potential majors and the careers that you can begin with your diploma in hand, here's a few websites to check out:
1. The Princeton Review
2. Mymajors.com
- By the way, I just took the major-planning quiz on Mymajors.com, and this is what they recommended as majors for me:
Classical Studies
Film, Cinema and Video
Journalism
Public Communications
Theatre
Pretty good, right? I highly recommend Mymajors.com to help you filter out exactly what you would be interested in for the long term.
3. Collegeboard

Labels: Jaclyn Wile, student blog