Choosing a major, focusing on a course of study, and graduating with a degree can be the most difficult, most frightening, and yet most fulfilling experience in the life of any college student.
"Understand that the right to choose your own path is a sacred privilege. Use it. Dwell in possibility."
--- Oprah Winfrey
Most of us enter school with the admonition from our parents to "study hard and get good grades so you can graduate and get a J.O.B." So we dutifully set off to please our parents by fulfilling those objectives, which often results in a mad scramble to both choose a major and make seemingly life-defining decisions about "what we want to be when we grow up." And heaven forbid if we make the wrong choice!
What if we spend nearly the cost of a house to get an education, only to find out that we hate what we're doing? What if we find ourselves stuck in a job that pays well, but for which we have no passion - or worse, are unable to find a job at all?
If you're feeling a little angst when reading these words, you're not alone. It's a pretty tall order to define the rest of your life in the short four to five years of obtaining a university degree. This is especially true when you consider that most of the focus during these years is studying everything other than yourself. Somehow developing an understanding of ourselves is supposed to just happen, without any real attention given to the task.
I'd like to go out on a limb here and suggest that coming to understand yourself - the real You at your core - and what you can be passionate about, is the most important discovery you can make as student. And college is merely the departure point for this discovery, because developing into a fully formed person takes a lifetime. It's a process that can't be remote-controlled into existence.
So how do you begin this discovery? Well, start by giving yourself permission to ask a few important questions and carefully consider the answers that lie within you.
• What am I meant to do in my life that is in service to others?
• How can I use my unique skills and talents to make a positive difference?
• What is it that I really want out of my school experience?
• And am I going to be brave enough to pursue it?
Identifying a purpose and finding your passions are the most important gifts you can give yourself. It's as important as studying for that "A" in biology or practicing that winning touchdown pass, and its effects on your future are even more long lasting. While we might not always be able to articulate our purpose in the smooth language of our favorite rap artist, we can certainly engage in the emotion of our passions. Passion is what gets us out of bed in the morning to put in long hours at work, just because we love what we're doing.
Passion is what pulls us back to a field of interest, even when logic tells us that jobs are more plentiful and lucrative if we choose another major. Passion is what makes going to class at 8 a.m. worth it, even if it means leaving the frat party early the night before, or getting only a few hours of sleep. Passion is what helps us overcome our fear of making mistakes and our fear of the ridicule of others who criticize our choices. Passion is powerful because it's the outward expression of the unique purpose we each carry within. And in today's challenging job market, passion matters.
My niece recently graduated from university and counts herself among the many new grads struggling to find a job in an economic climate that is more challenging than it has been in decades. But, unlike many of her friends, she decided to use her college experience as an opportunity to discover her purpose and find a field about which she could be passionate. Despite the depression in the job market, this young woman has had several job offers, because her enthusiasm for her chosen field (dance) is so infectious.
As a former human resource executive who has recruited more people and filled more jobs than I can remember, I can assure you that passion sells. There is nothing more enticing than a job candidate who is excited about the potential of making a positive difference in the world. It has always been my belief that passion helps new grads leverage their skills and guides them in applying those skills in productive ways. So, grades and degrees may be important, but for me, passion is the tiebreaker. My advice to college students is to work as hard at understanding themselves as they do to understand their courses. Only through intense focus and self-reflection can one begin to discover their purpose and passions. While there are many ways to go about this process, there are several steps that I've seen work, even for very successful people at the height of their careers:
1. Commit to establishing a time each day or each week for quiet contemplation. This is a time to reflect on the most recent experiences in your life and what you've learned from them. Some people find it helpful to keep a journal to record their thoughts so that they have them to refer to in the future and can measure their progress.
2. Monitor the amount and quality of the time that you're devoting to your own discovery. Remember - when you need to be busy with others too much, perhaps you're running away from discovering the real You. This is not an easy journey, and it will require diligence and commitment on your part, as well as faith that the answers will come.
3. Take time to examine your past life and work experiences. What activities have given you a sense of fulfillment and joy? How might you turn them into lifelong work? Talking with school placement office staff or a trusted teacher might help you make sense of what you're learning.
4. Look for opportunities to experiment with different jobs, courses or assignments that you find intriguing. Don't feel compelled to make the perfect choice with your first job and then berate yourself if it doesn't work out. Each job experience or course of study is an opportunity to learn more about You.
5. When you find yourself drawn to a field, despite your efforts to move away from it, pay attention! This may be the tap on your shoulder that is pointing you to your purpose and passions.
Above all else, have fun with this discovery because it's an activity you'll be engaged in for a lifetime. And remember - it's about the journey, not the destination.
