Finding a Major
“Hi, nice to meet you! I’m studying cognitive science. What’s your major?”
“Um, I’m still undecided…”
During community college, I felt immense pressure and dreaded being asked about my major because it felt like it defined who I was. At the time, it seemed as if everyone else had a plan except for me because of the confidence in their statements.
As a first generation college student, my parents did not have the time or experience to provide career support. They were busy providing a living for my family. Rather than the common idea of Asian parents as “tiger parents,” my father and mother were very lenient and any college I decided to attend or any future career that made me happy was an accomplishment. They always meant well by emphasizing education, but their inability to guide me made me very confused on what major to pursue in college.
During my community college years, I was very interested in the culinary arts program because they had a student-run bakery. There, I indulged in the half-priced goodies on Thursdays from 12 to 2pm, like chocolate mousse, rum cake, and eclairs. (What a steal for a college student! 😍)
I frequently thought about wanting to become a pastry chef because I really enjoyed it as a pastime and the moments when people were happy eating the baked goods I made. 🍪🍰🧁
When I thought about finally declaring my major as culinary arts, my love for the field just wasn’t strong enough. I knew how much labor it took to become a chef and was unwilling to strive for that lifestyle because I saw how much my parents struggled with manual labor jobs. Instead, I chose to study business because of its security in the job market.
After completing transfer course credits at my community college, I began attending San Jose State University (SJSU) as a business marketing major, but felt even more confused by my choice. Still stuck on the idea of culinary arts, I looked into switching to hospitality management, a good balance between business and culinary arts, but was faced with the difficulty in switching departments.😥 I searched internally within the Lucas College of Business for other concentrations that would fit me better.
That’s when I met and took a course with a new professor at SJSU on management information systems (MIS), a combination of technology and business.
(During office hours)
“Hi Professor.”
“Oh yes please come in!”
“Hi, I’m in your 10:30 section. The technical concepts in your course are very interesting to me. I was wondering what types of careers are possible within MIS.”
During our first meeting, this professor graciously spent about a hour and a half with me researching the possible careers within MIS. She too, was new to the field, but her unwavering efforts and belief in me guided me throughout the 3 years working as her student assistant at SJSU.
Meeting her was a turning point for me because she unlocked all of my potential and helped me dismiss the doubts I had about my self-worth. She allowed me to take charge in technical research papers (uncommon for undergraduate business majors) and to co-create and assist her with her new course at SJSU. While working with my professor, I became fond of working within a more technical background in business. Gradually, I became more confident in my abilities to apply to business programs, such as the MIS honors class, and get involved on campus. I finally felt like I belonged in the business college and at SJSU after changing my major to MIS.
The road to finding a major may be bumpy, but you will get there eventually by continuing to:
- Ask for help,
- Do your own research, and
- Find something you like to do and are good at.
These tips do not have to happen in the sequence as it is listed. For me, all three of these tips happened around the same time through the help of my professor. However, they are listed as guidance on where to begin in your own journey. In future articles, I plan to write about mentors and how they can help you in your journey. Until then, please think about these points and try them out.
Once you arrive at a suitable major, you may notice how it is not focused on one specific subject, but is much broader with varying specializations. In this case, you can expand your knowledge into multiple areas within a major if you are willing. Something one of my professors described as a “general specialist.”
Through this journey, labeling myself underneath a major no longer confines me. Instead, I can define what my major (MIS) looks like. I think you can do this too.
One final thing I want to leave with you is this thought:
People always emphasize going for the career that one loves, which is true in some sense, but I think another important aspect is finding something to love with your current decisions and catering them to fit your own needs. For example, as an MIS major, the level of technicality in your future career is up to you. For me, a combination of 50% business and 50% technology is perfect. That is why I am pursuing a career in technology consulting.
If you would like to read more, please check out my first article:
