The school year of 2016-17 is halfway done. Many seniors are waiting anxiously for their early decision acceptances/rejections, since the deadline for regular submissions has just been reached. Juniors are now looking ahead to college essays and facing the stress of the college application process. Many students have not found out what they want to do for the rest of their lives. Deciding on a major is important, but the process of finding one’s academic passion is also crucial.
Grace Park, a junior at University High School, is interested in the field of medicine and dentistry. She wants “to work hands-on and interact with people.” She also wants to “help people to be happier.” Andrew Kim, another junior at University High School, is interested in majoring in dentistry. He does not “like working with other people” and believes dentistry is “somewhat an independent business.”
Finding a career related to one’s interests is very important because if students pursue something just for the money or because of societal influences, they will lack in motivation and will eventually change majors. Dayeon Kang, a senior at Aliso Viejo High School, is preparing to enter college in the fast approaching fall semester. She wants “to major in interior designing and double major in business.” She found her career path through her interest in house interiors; she enjoys “arranging decorations and furnitures.” In the future, she hopes “to set up [her] own business for interior designing.”
Jenny Kim, a senior at Trabuco Hills High School, has also received influence from the courses she has taken in high school. She has “applied as a chemistry major to all except one of [her] schools because [she] want[s] to pursue a career in dentistry.” Specifically, she has applied to the University of Pacific’s accelerated dental program. She chose chemistry as her major because “it was one of the sciences that [she] really enjoyed learning during high school.” She has taken two years of chemistry, one honors course and one AP course. She further explained that “ever since [she] was a kid, [she has] always wanted to go to medical missions with the church.”
Ben Chai, a freshman at New York University, is currently majoring in political science. He became interested in politics after taking the AP political science and government courses in high school. It is important for students to take a variety of courses in high school so that they can have a better idea of what they want to pursue. Students should keep in mind that school is not about getting the highest achievable GPA; they should take classes that they are genuinely interested in.
As high school students prepare for college and beyond, it is valuable to take time and consideration in choosing one’s major. Students should actively pursue their interests, take a wide variety of educational courses, and have intrinsic motivation and reasoning behind their career path.
