Hi! This is a bit long, but if you read this and see something here that I don’t, perhaps you could help me out. I’m interested in perspectives from others older than me in seeing possible pattern or strategy forward that would help me maximize success and possible range of freedom in the future.
I am a college sophomore currently taking a gap semester at home, because I felt I was totally lost with too many career choices and wasting time/money trying to figure it out. I plan on returning to college this fall, and want to go back with a concrete decision on my major and curriculum. As I review my interests and future prospects, I seem to fluctuate and discover more and more potential paths forward. I naturally have a lot of interests and enjoy being a generalist, but I’ve only recently learned the importance of focus and doing one thing well first.
I took this semester off from a top LAC/research institution because I considered transferring to a film school, and specializing in video/news/documentary production. Before this, I was working towards an International Relations + Philosophy double major, with thoughts of law school, or something related to international law. I was taking classes all over the place, though, dabbling in computer science, political theory, etc.
During my time off, I realized I really enjoy many aspects of media production, and it employs a lot, if not all, of my talents, and allows me to be influential. I decided against transferring, because that would definitely limit my chances and be costly. Here at my lib arts institution, I’d study either film/media or philosophy, while building up a portfolio of work.
Now, I am exploring more and more about careers I did not know about which I would really enjoy and be good at, not to mention perhaps more lucrative/secure: urban planning, user experience design. I did my research with these careers, and these seem to fit my aptitudes quite well.
So this is my current situation:
- My strategy these days for settling on a major and a minor is to choose something that general and interesting that will train my thinking skills, while working on my portfolio/internships at developing hard skills.
- I would like an outcome which maximizes me towards freedom to pivot careers throughout my life, but also gears me with a focus and equips me with hard skills so that I can be employed after graduation.
- I have decided against double majoring, because this will limit my ability to take classes outside my majors that will inevitably interest me and prove essential to me intellectually.
- I am highly interested in emerging technology. I am also naturally political. These are both fixed truths. (The former may be more significant for my career decision, however.)
- When I envision what careers I'm working towards, I think of media/news/editorial production, policy research, urban planning, political campaign strategy, user experience design, freelance work in writing/video.
- Some majors I am considering are: (I could give pros/cons if helpful)
- Philosophy +
- Political Science +
- Cognitive Science +
- International Relations +
- Film/Media +
- Some minors:
- philosophy
- film/media
- science, technology, society
Questions:
- Although I feel ready and eager to get back into the college climate, should I hold off on going back until I am more stable in what I would like from my future? Or is this instability normal in undergrads, and is expecting certainty at my age unrealistic?
- If I should take the full year off from college, what are some things I could do during that time that would help clarify how I should go forward?
- What major/extracurricular/skills advice do you have for me?
- Any general thoughts?