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How do you find out what you're passionate about in high school?
Are there any ways to discover any passions in an academic sense without tiring out your schedule full of clubs, extracurriculars, and classes? How bad would it be if I went undecided while applying for a college?
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Ashley’s Answer
Hi Fernando,
That's a great question. While there are many ways to find what you're passionate about, you might start by asking yourself the following questions to try and narrow it down.
1. What am I good at academically (e.g. math, writing, etc.)?
2. What am I good at when amongst others (e.g. able to read the room well, a peacemaker, problem solver, able to organize others, gives good advice, etc.)?
3. What brings me joy (e.g. helping others, solving problems, traveling, etc.)
4. What energizes me and when do I feel my best (e.g. working with a team vs working alone, constant change/challenge vs consistent routine)
5. What careers have I seen others doing that was of interest, seemed to align with my own aspirations, etc.
6. What do I value in a job (e.g. known routine, flexibility, working for a boss vs being your own boss)
Once you have answers to some or all of these questions, you might be able to start formulating the type of career/work that align with your values and ones that don't. Then from there spending time researching different careers and understanding a bit more about them. For example, I always knew I wanted a job that had flexibility, I enjoy helping others and solving problems, and I wanted to work in business. I originally entered college as a Marketing major but then quickly realized I wasn't very creative and didn't feel "good at it". Whereas when I took my Accounting class I realized I liked how everything balanced, there was less ambiguity and I was good at it. I switched my major and thankfully have been in a job I really enjoy as an IT consultant. I share all that to say, was I passionate about accounting or IT in High School, nope! But did I ultimately find a job that checks the boxes for some of the things I valued in a career (flexibility, helping others, solving problems and in business), yes!
So that all said, you don't have to decide your major before you get to college, and even if you do, it's ok if you decide to change it once you're there. College will expose you to many things and give you an opportunity to explore what you are interested in and good at, and hopefully lead you to a great major and career.
Best of luck in your journey!
Ashley
That's a great question. While there are many ways to find what you're passionate about, you might start by asking yourself the following questions to try and narrow it down.
1. What am I good at academically (e.g. math, writing, etc.)?
2. What am I good at when amongst others (e.g. able to read the room well, a peacemaker, problem solver, able to organize others, gives good advice, etc.)?
3. What brings me joy (e.g. helping others, solving problems, traveling, etc.)
4. What energizes me and when do I feel my best (e.g. working with a team vs working alone, constant change/challenge vs consistent routine)
5. What careers have I seen others doing that was of interest, seemed to align with my own aspirations, etc.
6. What do I value in a job (e.g. known routine, flexibility, working for a boss vs being your own boss)
Once you have answers to some or all of these questions, you might be able to start formulating the type of career/work that align with your values and ones that don't. Then from there spending time researching different careers and understanding a bit more about them. For example, I always knew I wanted a job that had flexibility, I enjoy helping others and solving problems, and I wanted to work in business. I originally entered college as a Marketing major but then quickly realized I wasn't very creative and didn't feel "good at it". Whereas when I took my Accounting class I realized I liked how everything balanced, there was less ambiguity and I was good at it. I switched my major and thankfully have been in a job I really enjoy as an IT consultant. I share all that to say, was I passionate about accounting or IT in High School, nope! But did I ultimately find a job that checks the boxes for some of the things I valued in a career (flexibility, helping others, solving problems and in business), yes!
So that all said, you don't have to decide your major before you get to college, and even if you do, it's ok if you decide to change it once you're there. College will expose you to many things and give you an opportunity to explore what you are interested in and good at, and hopefully lead you to a great major and career.
Best of luck in your journey!
Ashley