Get what you want: be willing to change your major or pursue an unexpected career

It was very simple, actually. I was going to double major in physiological science and some sort of humanities subject.

During my four years at UCLA, I would participate in a number of internships in laboratories, volunteer at the UCLA Medical Center and achieve a GPA and MCAT score of such magnificence that any medical school would be crazy not to take me.

Fast forward to the beginning of my second year and the humbling realization I gained over my first few quarters at UCLA. That first fall quarter in an introductory chemistry course was one that caused hours upon hours of stoichiometry, semiconductors and stress.

Though I am still officially a physiological science student, I am now pursuing a double major in English and Middle Eastern and North African Studies, and will hopefully be declaring at the end of the year.

Too often, students are stubbornly attached to a major or presumed career path that they are afraid to let go of, failing to realize a course of study that truly makes them happy. It’s a complete cliche, I know, but follow your bliss!

College is probably one of the last opportunities you will get to explore and discover a field that gets you excited about your future, and forgoing this chance could make your four years a lot more miserable than they have any right to be.

This frantic search for a life’s calling is by no means a rare one. According to an article from the UC Berkeley Career Center, Top 10 Career Myths, the average student coming into college with a declared major changes it three to five times, as opposed to the student who comes in undeclared, who only changes their major one to two times.

This constant shift should not be mistaken for flip-flopping. Those of us who came into UCLA with a declared major likely chose it sometime around the beginning of our senior year of high school, and odds are, we have matured somewhat since then.

The development of worldviews and belief systems are perhaps the most crucial parts of your time in college. I cannot tell you how many 3 a.m. hallway conversations I had about the existence of God, the 2008 election, and the superiority of the band Muse. Like it or not, you will change more than you think in your years here. A change of heart in the major you choose to pursue is simply a manifestation of that.

Post-college plans have also become less defined, with myriad students pursuing majors and paths that do not lead directly to the traditional job market. The search for more creative solutions in a time of recession has fueled a surge in the number of applicants to nonprofit organizations like Teach for America and the Peace Corps, according to TAKING SHAPE; Generation OMG, a recent New York Times article by Kate Zernike.

Teach for America alone saw a 28 percent increase in recruits from 2007 to 2008, according to a 2008 New York Times article by Sam Dillon, Teach for America Sees Surge in Popularity.

Majors are not always direct indicators of what your career path is destined to be. With the declining value of a bachelor’s degree in our current economic environment and the increase in applications to graduate schools across the nation, undergraduate education is not the end of the road for many.

There are, of course, certain career paths, medicine included, that require a set curriculum. This will no doubt make it more difficult to turn back after as short a span as a year, and potential candidates must have a firm understanding of the commitments that are required of them should they choose to take this path.

As sure as you think you may be, explore your options with classes that catch your eye, regardless of whether they are prerequisites for your major.

You are currently in a world-class university with access to professors, courses, laboratories, counselors, peers, teaching assistants, libraries, student groups, and countless other resources at your disposal.

You cannot fight your way through Bruin Walk without them literally being stuffed in your face. It’s overwhelming at times, but to not take advantage of this information would be a gigantic mistake that would likely cost you opportunities and experiences that could have a significant effect on the outcome of your college career.

Applying to this very newspaper winter quarter of last year, I had my own excuses for not joining: Writing would interfere with my classes and schoolwork or I wouldn’t be able to constantly crank out coherent columns. It wasn’t until my friend Richard got angry at me for my sorry excuses the evening before applications were due that I spent an all-nighter finishing the enormous thing.

It was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my short time here. Coupled with Wordsworth and Farsi dominating my curriculum rather than derivatives and genetics, I couldn’t be happier ““ or more impatient ““ for this school year to finally get started.

E-mail Gharibian at [email protected]. Send general comments to [email protected].