When looking at schools my senior year of high school, I knew what I wanted: a career-oriented campus that could put me on the path to becoming an editor at one of New York’s top publishing houses. I came to Pace full of confidence and launched myself into an English degree with vigor. That plan fell apart pretty fast.
Last fall, I discovered that I liked my introductory history course much more than my higher-level English classes. I was happy to be able to find what I really enjoyed, but this realization came when registration season was already in full swing. I had a schedule full of English courses ready to go for the spring, but I felt more uneasy than excited at the prospect of actually taking them.
Thus began a mad rush to find history courses before it was my turn for registration. After many late nights and more than a few plans thrown out the window, I came up with a drafted schedule that sounded agreeable. I’ve now officially changed my major to history, and I’m happy to report that my classes have been very enjoyable. This semester hasn’t been perfect, but it’s very reassuring to know that I’m getting closer to building a future that I’ll be happy with.
It’s not easy to figure out what you want going into college. I’m far from the only student at Pace who’s changed paths since they started school. Changing your mind is normal, but it’s hard to figure out how to cope with that change. A new major means new class materials, new professors, and a new 4-year plan. It can be a lot to adjust to. Personally, I struggled to even figure out where to start. As I built a new academic plan, I focused on a few key ideas to figure out what I really wanted.
Firstly, I kept in mind what I wanted out of my degree. Some people use college as an opportunity to explore new subject areas. Others feel that it’s a great chance to dive into a subject they’re deeply passionate about. Personally, I’m very career-oriented. I want to make sure that I spend my time in school wisely so that I’ll be able to pursue a career I’m happy with once I graduate. I don’t know exactly what my ideal career path is yet, and it’s important to me to keep my options open. With this in mind, I did some research on career options for history majors, and found that the degree would offer exactly the sort of flexibility I’m looking for.
Once I’d decided that history was the right choice for me, I needed to narrow down my class options. It was important for me to identify what subjects I wanted to learn more about. I knew that I was curious about Latin American and Middle Eastern history, so I made sure to include those subject areas when deciding on my schedule. I made a list of possible classes to take based on the subjects I was interested in.
Finally, I used my experiences in past classes to figure out what class structure would work best for me. Based on my fall classes, I knew that I would be happy with both lecture and discussion-based courses, but that I couldn’t stay awake for any in the afternoon. I took those classes off of my list of options right away, then read reviews on Rate My Professor to make sure that the teaching style in the remaining options would work for me.
Once I had a list of classes I wanted, I slotted them into my calendar and decided on the four classes that worked best for me. Because I kept in mind what was important to me at every step of the decision-making process, I felt confident that I would be able to find what I was looking for. That confidence has turned out to be correct. I’ve really enjoyed my classes this semester, and I can’t wait to broaden my horizons with more history courses next fall. Reflecting on my priorities has helped me find an academic trajectory that works for me.
Figuring out your academic priorities is an ongoing process. Right now, I feel confident that I know what I want out of my time at Pace. I’m just getting started, though, and my goals could change over the next few years. That’s completely okay. College is meant to be a space for growth. I don’t need to have it all figured out now. No matter how many times I change course, every choice is another step forward on the path of self-discovery.
Feature image via The College Solution