Dude, what's your major?

Are you struggling with figuring out what you want to study in college? Have you taken a few classes that interest you but still find yourself lost and confused about what's the right major for you? At some point, almost everyone has experienced this struggle. So don't freak out, you're not alone.

Let's say in high school, you were inspired by Environmental Science classes that touched on environmental issues and how to become more sustainable. This probably made you feel interested in going to college to study that topic and find a career in promoting environmental awareness. Then you finally get to college and start taking intro level environmental studies classes and it turns out to be a lot harder than you thought. There's Biology involved, Chemistry and even some theory that you're not all that interested in using your brain to fully understand.

What do you do? Ask yourself these simple questions:

1. Are you enjoying the classes/work you have to complete in this major?
If the answer is no, it's a good idea to rethink your class schedule and find classes that are a lot more interesting, even if they are just the simple intro level courses.

2. Have you found any jobs that relate to the major that you see yourself doing in the future?
If you look up a few job ideas and can't imagine yourself working in that industry or in that field, start searching for other jobs you might be intrigued by and seeing what majors are required to get those jobs.

3. Are you getting grades you think you should be getting in your major classes?
If you're not getting the grades you want to receive in classes that your major requires, that's not a good thing. Not only should you be enjoying your classes but you should be understanding what you're covering in the course and how to apply it in real life. A course shouldn't be "easy" but definitely shouldn't be difficult for you either. If you do well in your major classes, hopefully it's because you love what you're learning!

4. Have you talked to anyone in the Career Center?
Every school must have some sort of career center or office for students to go to when they feel lost. This is a very helpful step in the process of figuring out what you want to major in and what sort of jobs that major will help you find in the future.

After figuring out the answers to these questions, you should be on your way to deciding what's best for you during your four years of school. It's never too late to find what you love! You just have to chin up and do your best to stay focused and motivated throughout the journey of finding what you're passionate about.

How to survive a long school day

Not only is it Monday, but you have two fifty minute classes, an hour and fifteen minute class and a two and a half hour night class. Even after your classes are over for the day, you have club meetings to attend and probably won't be done until ten o'clock at night.

How do you motivate yourself to get through this long schedule during the day?

1.  Start with some cool jams
Everyone enjoys some good tunes. Start your day listening to your favorite music. It wakes you up, gets you to dance and groove along which gets the blood flowing, and generally puts you in a better mood which is great for a long day ahead of you.

2.  Make the best of class time
You may have one of those boring, long lecture classes that you're required to take. You probably dread going to it because it causes you to fall asleep or lose focus. Try making the best out of the time you spend in class. Relate the lecture to something memorable or funny to help you understand it better or remember it for a test. Make references in your notes to something interesting you went over in class. You can get through it, class can't be all that bad.

3. Grab a snack between classes
Recharge your battery by grabbing a quick meal during breaks. Especially if your classes go till late in the evening, you're going to need a little pick-me-up to get you through those next few hours. Bring dinner to class! If your professor makes a comment, give em some sass back and tell em it's dinner time. Nothing comes between you and your pizza. Nothing.

4. Reward yourself after a long day of classes
Once you complete your heavily scheduled day, give yourself a pat on the back, maybe buy yourself a candy bar. Just tell yourself how hard you worked all day and you'll feel better about the struggle of keeping through a tough schedule. And remember, you did it!


Hopefully these small tips will help you survive your long Monday, or whatever day of the week it may be. Just keep a positive attitude and some food in your belly and you'll be good to go. Soon you'll be pushing through the entire week without even realizing how fast it went by. You got this, Friday is right around the corner.

Sincerely,
EmPris