Dropping Out of Grad School [The First Time] Is the Best Decision I’ve Ever Made

Sometimes you need to start something to know it’s not right for you

I’m fortunate to be in the midst of a relatively successful career. And my college major has nothing to do with it.

In my junior year of undergrad, I switched from a communications major to history major.

I loved history, particularly American Revolution-era history. I loved locking myself in the library for hours and doing research — real research with microfilm and dusty books on forgotten shelves, no Googling — and I’d always prefer writing a paper over taking a test. Moreover, my school had a fantastic roster of professors in the department, so I decided to switch it up and change my career path. I taught SAT-prep courses for The Princeton Review part-time and I loved the atmosphere of a college campus, so why not combine the two and be a college history professor?

Perfect.

That was the extent of my planning.

While choosing a “soft” undergrad major isn’t the death sentence it’s often made out to be, there still needs to be a plan for life after graduation. I had none. My problem wasn’t the major, it was my lack of focus, direction, and drive. While I watched…