By Cecilia Luna
We’re expected to have our whole lives planned out by the time we enter college and finding passion while in college. But how are you supposed to decide your career path when you just stopped having to raise your hand to use the bathroom?
For me, the thought of going to college with no idea in mind was scary, to say the least. Finding passion while in college is effective with and through the college experience, I learned some really important lessons that have led me to a much clearer point in my life. Finding your true passion can be hard. Here’s how I did it.
1. It’s okay to change your major
Don’t be afraid to make this decision! Here I am, three major changes later, with a path that is finally right for me. Before graduating high school, I thought my future was a career in marketing. Eventually, this changed for me before my first semester of college even started. I pursued my interest in politics by becoming a political science major. After taking a couple of courses in this major, I was proven wrong again. Each semester, I had a ritual when registering for classes: add at least one class to your schedule that you usually wouldn’t take. This can be a class on photography, rock n’ roll (Yes, that’s an actual course!), theatre, or even astronomy. For me, it was activism.
2. Studying new things can change your life
ENG 1145: Writing About the Traditional Rhetoric of Activism was a course I wasn’t too sure about initially, but I knew my interest in politics would help fuel my curiosity. I have always been interested in political and social activism, but this class solidified my passion for it permanently. In this course, I was able to create a blog that I updated weekly and read books about the biggest social movements in history. Not only did I learn about the past, I became more aware of current issues around me. After this course, I realized I wanted a career in activism. I wanted to help others. So came major change number three. After following my ritual for adding courses, I enrolled in a summer course I wouldn’t usually take: Principles of Advertising. After an entire summer learning about how to communicate with people, I changed my major to public relations, hoping one day to represent a nonprofit organization. After realizing I wanted to be an activist, I quickly used the resources nearby at UF to discover others like me who could help. Here, I joined organizations like Students for a Democratic Society and, most recently, was able to participate in activist protests and marches like Take Back the Night. Studying new things while finding passion while in college can really help.
3. Get out of your comfort zone
Don’t be afraid to try new things while finding passion while in college! You’ll often find that the things you least expected turn out to have the most influence on your life. Take an unusual class each semester, pick up a new hobby, or join a different club — it’s all up to you. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to get lost along the way. Almost every college has people in place to help you figure out exactly what it is you’d like to pursue. You’re only in college once, so use these services while they last! Though it seems like I’ve got my future planned out for me, I’m still young and I’m still learning. A fourth major change doesn’t scare me at all.
About the author
Cecilia will give us an inside look at a day in the life of a college student, sharing her journey with us every step of the way. She’s a second-year public relations major at the University of Florida. Her hometown is in south Florida, in the small town of Clewiston, and she’s ready to make her mark. “Not only am I learning to adjust to a bigger city, but all of the adventures this big university brings along with it.” You can follow her adventures right here on Unigo!