I’m going to spare you the agony of a long introduction that’s going to waste your time. Most of you probably have their baccalaureate coming up and I don’t even know what you’re doing online. Get off your cell phones and hit the books. But if you’re waiting until it’s O’clock to get to studying, you might need to read this.
You guys are probably going through the turmoil of choosing a major. Some of you have successfully chosen what they love, and if you’re one of those, then you can stop reading. The rest have either not chosen anything yet, have chosen something their parents want them to major in, or have just chosen something because they don’t know what the hell it is that they’re doing. If you’re one of those, let me tell you, you’re completely fine!
I’ve been there, I promise. I just finished my last semester of computer engineering. Did I choose it because I love it? Not at all. If it were up to me, I would’ve stopped at high school and picked up my father’s business, a butcher shop. Fortunately, I was forced into college and I went for computer engineering because my brother had been doing it and I thought to myself “Alright I’ve got nothing to lose, let me wing it”.
Family and social pressures…
Your dad wants you to be a lawyer, your grandma wants you to be the “daktoor el day3a”, your older sister is about to finish architecture and you?
Well I’m pretty sure you love music. Or is it that you’re passionate about reading? But I’m guessing you enjoy a bit of acting… Math, chemistry, physics, memorizing, you get nauseous just by thinking of those subjects.
Again I say, you’re completely fine! Bear with me here, you’re going to read “you’re completely fine” quite often. To those of you who are going to be forced into a major, I’m going to have another article ready for you later. To those who do have a choice but are subject to peer pressure and high family expectations, allow me to tell you one thing, let go. Let go of what your family loves, let go of the fact that you want your grandpa to see you working at a construction site before he dies, let go of the fact that you want your mom to introduce you as the doctor. These things might matter a few months after you graduate, but not for the 50 years to come when you’re working a fulltime job at something you despise or don’t enjoy.
Ma bet ta3me khobz
Yeah your father says that a lot. “Why do you want to go into fine arts? How are you going to make money with that?” It’s normal for them to always worry about money. After all, they come from a shattered generation. They had to endure hunger, poverty, war and illiteracy due to unfortunate circumstances. But let me tell you one thing, and this is based on experience. If you enjoy what you’re doing, you’re going to make money from it. You could open yourself a “Dikken” around the corner and enjoy making your business work, and before you know it, you’re the proud owner of a supermarket.
How do I pick a major?
This might sound cheesy but you don’t pick the major, it picks you. Sit down, go online and make your research instead of stalking your crush on Facebook. Go on Google and type “Electrical Engineering job opportunities”. You will get a whole list of possible job opportunities an electrical engineer might have. You read them, you understand what electrical engineers do and you think to yourself, “Do I see myself doing that for the next 40 years?” If it’s a no, try another major. If it’s a yes, congratulations. And always, always and I cannot stress this enough, ALWAYS, keep in mind that money comes along the way. If you’re a doctor and you don’t like what you do, you’re barely going to have any patients. ALWAYS keep that in mind.
What if I’ve already chosen my major?
I’ve met so many people who did two years of engineering and finally switched to what they truly love. The only bad thing about this is the lost money and a few months of your life. But always compare that to the final goal. Yes you would’ve thrown $10,000 down the drain and no not many people have the privilege of doing that without feeling a frost bite. Yes you would’ve thrown two valuable years of your life. But picture yourself down the line, a happy, successful, well-recognized photographer. What does that sound like?
