Pursuing One’s Passion?
Hey all, Jordan here
“Major” is synonymous with college, right? That’s the most fundamental aspect of college, right above roommates and bad choices. When deciding on one, many students tend to gravitate towards the mantra of “pursuing one’s passion,” which works out fantastically for some, not so well for others.
What I want to get across is that this specific piece of advice is not the ultimate evolution of career advice, but simply one way out of many to help navigate difficult real-world choices. For some students, “pursuing one’s passion” can be difficult given their passions and their skills do not match up. For example, I have a passion for video games, but I am neither good enough to play professionally nor knowledgeable enough in software to become a video game designer. However, if I wanted to pursue either of those routes I could, with enough effort and time. And perhaps I will in the future, but currently, my potential lies more in neuroscience than other disciplines.
Herein lies the advice; When choosing a major, there are more things to consider besides what one enjoys, including accessibility and level of difficulty.
I recently watched a TEDx talk on this topic, and it may be worth your while to check it out: