During our visit out west this past summer, we met an exciting college student who told us he was only attending college to satisfy his mother’s wishes. However, he told his mother he’d go on the condition he majored in an exciting topic, which seemed fair to me.
I thought this was a smart move. I am a big believer in doing what you love but figure out how what you love will solve a problem, and then you have a winner for yourself and the world.
What do I mean:
Suppose your major is anthropology, environmental science, etc. What world environmental problems are you learning about as you study anthropology and environmental science? What are you learning from reading, classroom instruction, and discussions that can help you chip away or craft a solution to these problems? With climate change a hot topic, with many issues to solve for a future livable planet: be part of the solution.
If your major is criminal justice, What local, regional, and nationwide problems are you learning about as you study criminal justice science? What are you learning from reading, classroom instruction, and discussions that can help you chip away or craft a solution to these criminal justice problems? With police reform a hot topic and many problems to solve: be part of the solution. That is the winning formula: solve a problem.