I need advice Mr. Wester
School will be starting back in a few weeks, and I have already signed up for classes. The classes I have chosen are the universal ones that everybody has to take. I haven't signed up for the major specific ones because I want to change my major, and don't want to waste any time. Officially my major is exercise science to be a physical therapist and I'm on the fence about changing it to psychology to be a clinical or forensic psychologist.
My question to you Mr. Wester is how did you finally decide on your career path? Were you just naturally gifted in English composition, did you just enjoy it and decided to go with it, or was composition just one thing you were working towards and just settled on it?
I don't want to waste a year of my life studying the wrong thing. I enjoy and find both of my future career choices interesting. The pay is almost the same in both career choices, but thats not at the top of my priorities list because I want to do something that I can wake up everyday and smile knowing that I made the right choice. I have interviewed people of both careers and neither been able to tip the scales towards one side.
My question to you Mr. Wester is how did you finally decide on your career path? Were you just naturally gifted in English composition, did you just enjoy it and decided to go with it, or was composition just one thing you were working towards and just settled on it?
I don't want to waste a year of my life studying the wrong thing. I enjoy and find both of my future career choices interesting. The pay is almost the same in both career choices, but thats not at the top of my priorities list because I want to do something that I can wake up everyday and smile knowing that I made the right choice. I have interviewed people of both careers and neither been able to tip the scales towards one side.
posted by Daniel at 9:44 PM
4 Comments:
Daniel, I'm happy to offer you advice, but first I'll say that I think you'll be fine no matter what you choose to do, so don't put any undue pressure on yourself.
My best advice is to follow your heart. That is what I did, and I have not regretted it. I went into English because I liked to write, I was good at it, and I liked to read good books. It is as simple as that. I followed my heart. Making money was never something I considered, but that is part of my personality. If I'm doing what I want to do, and manage to pay my bills while doing it, I'm happy. I'm never going to get rich, but I will make a living and create wealth in other forms.
My sister took a very different path. She never knew what she wanted to do and she didn't have the connection and love for a field like I always did. She didn't decide on a major until her junior year and she had finished her core courses. She decided to pursue something that interested her and would allow her to make a lot of money. For her it was a very rational, very practical decision. She went into speech pathology, earned a masters degree, and today she enjoys her work and she makes a very good living (at least double what I made when I was at GTC).
It seems you've got that kind of decision to make. Psychology is more academic, and probably not as practical as therapy. Potentially, you would be in high demand in therapy, you could find a job virtually anywhere, and you'd probably make a very good living. Psychology offers those things too, but it will probably be a longer road with more difficulty. But the journey can also be a reward in itself. That is how I feel about what I'm doing right now. I'm having the time of my life.
I think you have to weigh all of those concerns and decide what is most important to you. You have to do what your heart tells you to do or you will regret it.
I think that's probably what you're struggling with. You're looking at things rationally, which is good, but I think deep down you probably know what you want to do. Your heart is telling you something. My advice, when it comes to a decision as important as this one, is to go with your heart.
I hope this helps.
One more thing, Daniel. When I started out I never intended to teach composition. That never crossed my mind. All I wanted to do was write. Now, something happens to me when I got out of college with a masters degree and I realized that I had to do something to make money. Writing wasn't paying the bills. That practical necessity is what pulled me into teaching, and I discovered that I was good at it, and that I enjoyed it. Today, I indentify so strongly as a teacher/writer that I wouldn't change that if I could, and that has put me on the path I'm on now. So, take the above advice with that in mind. Sometimes the journey changes your mind about things, and the need to make a paycheck is huge. There's nothing wrong with being practical.
Hey Daniel,
I know that your post was directed towards Wester but I could really see you as a forensic psychologist. First of all if you did there is always work in larger cities as long as your grades are good, you are constantly learning, and disecting details. Just butting in, sorry but I could definatly see you in that field, what ever you do You will be great at it! :) I miss you!
Thank you both very much for your insight. I'm only twenty so I think I have a little more time to make a choice. I just want to have a job where I can wake up everyday and be happy. My worst nightmare is being a drone of society that simply goes through the motions of everyday life. I want full control of my life in every aspect of it. I fear being one of those people you see in suits going to work everyday with a blank, thoughtless expression on their face because they have to do the same routine everyday without ever learning or bettering themselves in any way.
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