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How do you decide what career to pursue? (Nursing, LA, Art)
(I'm currently in community college trying to better my gpa and explore topics)
I'm interested in topics like sustainability, design, and health research, but I'm more of a creative person(drawing, painting, writing, singing). For my careers, I've been going between being a landscape architect or being a nurse because I think pursuing a career in the arts isn't reliable enough. Ultimately, I'm unsure though because those careers have big exams that I might not pass, and I kinda screwed my gpa in my first year of college so if I want to pursue nursing I'd have to retake a few courses. My worry about Landscape Architecture is that it might be too long of a path; having to get the degree, gain experience for a couple years then pass the LARE exam.
I'm unsure of what other careers are out there that spark my interest. I am just very unsure for what I should do this upcoming semester and what to pursue for a career in general. (I'm interested in college major and career ideas)
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Jeffrey S.’s Answer
Hi Ellerie, My name is Jeff Holzer, a Landscape Architect in Northern Virginia, hopefully my insight as an LA can give you some perspective in your decision.
The short story of this is: do what interests you most and will make you happy or you'll enjoy doing it. Because if your interested in something and stressed about it, it's called a passion. If you're not interested in something and stressed about it, it's more of a burden.
I'll try to speak for both sides LA and Nursing (mother was in medical profession) and weigh the options:
First on GPA, the good news is for LA, frankly GPA doesn't carry as much significance when it comes time for getting a job. Most firms I'm aware of just want to see a GPA above a 3.0 (B average typically) but they're far more interested in your portfolio, work, skills, and talent. So don't stress that GPA thing too much for LA, depending on how much you're in the hole, climbing out to a 3.0 may not be unreasonable. For nursing though, and this my be an generalization, but GPA is more important related to those medical disciplines, and is far more competitive. If you're nervous about your GPA, a nursing pursuit may just add to the stress of a low GPA.
In college, think about the classes you'll be taking and what interests you most. With Nursing, I'll assume you'll need to take Anatomy, Biology, and Chemistry, and likely all of these classes will have a lab associated with it. Typically this classes are very challenging and ultimately may cause an uphill climb for your GPA. With LA, you'll take classes about Design, Design Theory, Construction Detailing and Implementation, Plant Classes, Engineering, likely a drawing course, possibly Horticulture, and maybe other related classes pertaining to Sustainability. From first hand experience, these classes are not easy. They can be very challenging to use both sides of your brain, understand concepts, and apply them in practice. But if you already have interest in some of these things, perhaps you already have a step in the right direction. Plus, a few times in college because many of these classes are based on projects and not tests, I had no final exams! If you're worried about exams, these course actually don't require that many exams...depending on which school you go to obviously. Be sure to select an appropriate LA school, most importantly it needs to be an accredited program - that'll be most important during licensure.
Now think about what you want your day to day at a job to be: with Nursing I assume you're caring for people, performing tests and procedures on patients, filling orders and prescriptions and etc. If you like 1 on 1 with people, and being that kind of caregiver, then Nursing should be right up your alley. However, from first hand knowledge a nursing career comes with a lot of responsibilities with people health, an emotional toll can be applied on people, and a hospital never sleeps, so working weekends and holidays is very possible. With LA, you're day to day would be working with clients providing design drawings to them in a variety of formats (Construction Drawings, Renderings, etc.), managing active construction sites, working with a design team, and apply knowledge on plants and materials but also being wildly creative in problem solving. Don't get me wrong, this job can be very stressful too dealing with clients, active construction, project budgets, and a fast paced industry, but I find the finished product and seeing people use it being very satisfying. I get holidays and weekends off too!
Lastly about exams - I had some college friends who pursued nursing and yes the RN exams are rigorous, no way to avoid that. With LA, I'd argue your perspective on the pathway to licensure is too long - is a bit incorrect. LA licensure is administered per state, and currently each state has different requirements. For example, in VA where I am now, they require I believe 3 years experience before you are able to sit for the exams. This is intentional to get you real world experience that will help you in the exams. However, in FL where I started my career, you are eligible to sit for the exams the day after you graduate from college from an accredited program. In theory, you could obtain a license in FL in 1 year following college. There are currently 4 national exams to secure licensure, and then some states require an additional exam. In some states you can secure licensure faster than others, so you'll need to consider where you'd like to be following graduation and consider what that state's license requirements are. Yes it can take time, but when you deal with the Health, Safety, and Welfare of the public, the licensure process has to ensure that you are doing the best practices to keep people safe. And in the end, it is definitely worth securing a license, there are reputation, financial, and self-accomplishment benefits in securing it. You can find a lot of this licensure preparation information on the ASLA website, including links to specific state requirements - https://www.asla.org/lareprep.aspx. As for the 4 national exams, no question, they're tough exams and you need to study for them. But a combination of discipline studying and work experience, everyone is able to succeed and secure licensure when they apply themselves. I sit on the ASLA LARE Prep Committee so I help dozens of candidates every year in support and resources for them to be successful in pursuing licensure.
All that said, hopefully that is helpful in your decision making. Hopefully I wasn't too biased as a Landscape Architect, but like I said, it's ultimately whatever interests you most and make you happy long term. But as I always say, everyone wants to be a Landscape Architect, they just don't know it yet...
The short story of this is: do what interests you most and will make you happy or you'll enjoy doing it. Because if your interested in something and stressed about it, it's called a passion. If you're not interested in something and stressed about it, it's more of a burden.
I'll try to speak for both sides LA and Nursing (mother was in medical profession) and weigh the options:
First on GPA, the good news is for LA, frankly GPA doesn't carry as much significance when it comes time for getting a job. Most firms I'm aware of just want to see a GPA above a 3.0 (B average typically) but they're far more interested in your portfolio, work, skills, and talent. So don't stress that GPA thing too much for LA, depending on how much you're in the hole, climbing out to a 3.0 may not be unreasonable. For nursing though, and this my be an generalization, but GPA is more important related to those medical disciplines, and is far more competitive. If you're nervous about your GPA, a nursing pursuit may just add to the stress of a low GPA.
In college, think about the classes you'll be taking and what interests you most. With Nursing, I'll assume you'll need to take Anatomy, Biology, and Chemistry, and likely all of these classes will have a lab associated with it. Typically this classes are very challenging and ultimately may cause an uphill climb for your GPA. With LA, you'll take classes about Design, Design Theory, Construction Detailing and Implementation, Plant Classes, Engineering, likely a drawing course, possibly Horticulture, and maybe other related classes pertaining to Sustainability. From first hand experience, these classes are not easy. They can be very challenging to use both sides of your brain, understand concepts, and apply them in practice. But if you already have interest in some of these things, perhaps you already have a step in the right direction. Plus, a few times in college because many of these classes are based on projects and not tests, I had no final exams! If you're worried about exams, these course actually don't require that many exams...depending on which school you go to obviously. Be sure to select an appropriate LA school, most importantly it needs to be an accredited program - that'll be most important during licensure.
Now think about what you want your day to day at a job to be: with Nursing I assume you're caring for people, performing tests and procedures on patients, filling orders and prescriptions and etc. If you like 1 on 1 with people, and being that kind of caregiver, then Nursing should be right up your alley. However, from first hand knowledge a nursing career comes with a lot of responsibilities with people health, an emotional toll can be applied on people, and a hospital never sleeps, so working weekends and holidays is very possible. With LA, you're day to day would be working with clients providing design drawings to them in a variety of formats (Construction Drawings, Renderings, etc.), managing active construction sites, working with a design team, and apply knowledge on plants and materials but also being wildly creative in problem solving. Don't get me wrong, this job can be very stressful too dealing with clients, active construction, project budgets, and a fast paced industry, but I find the finished product and seeing people use it being very satisfying. I get holidays and weekends off too!
Lastly about exams - I had some college friends who pursued nursing and yes the RN exams are rigorous, no way to avoid that. With LA, I'd argue your perspective on the pathway to licensure is too long - is a bit incorrect. LA licensure is administered per state, and currently each state has different requirements. For example, in VA where I am now, they require I believe 3 years experience before you are able to sit for the exams. This is intentional to get you real world experience that will help you in the exams. However, in FL where I started my career, you are eligible to sit for the exams the day after you graduate from college from an accredited program. In theory, you could obtain a license in FL in 1 year following college. There are currently 4 national exams to secure licensure, and then some states require an additional exam. In some states you can secure licensure faster than others, so you'll need to consider where you'd like to be following graduation and consider what that state's license requirements are. Yes it can take time, but when you deal with the Health, Safety, and Welfare of the public, the licensure process has to ensure that you are doing the best practices to keep people safe. And in the end, it is definitely worth securing a license, there are reputation, financial, and self-accomplishment benefits in securing it. You can find a lot of this licensure preparation information on the ASLA website, including links to specific state requirements - https://www.asla.org/lareprep.aspx. As for the 4 national exams, no question, they're tough exams and you need to study for them. But a combination of discipline studying and work experience, everyone is able to succeed and secure licensure when they apply themselves. I sit on the ASLA LARE Prep Committee so I help dozens of candidates every year in support and resources for them to be successful in pursuing licensure.
All that said, hopefully that is helpful in your decision making. Hopefully I wasn't too biased as a Landscape Architect, but like I said, it's ultimately whatever interests you most and make you happy long term. But as I always say, everyone wants to be a Landscape Architect, they just don't know it yet...
Updated
Patrick’s Answer
Ellerie, I first want to thank you for sharing your career concerns.. It's truly admirable that you're actively delving into your passions and making strides to enhance your GPA at community college. Yes, it can be a bit nerve-wracking, but hold your head high and I have full faith in your ability to succeed.
Having interests in diverse fields like Nursing, Landscape Architecture, and Art can indeed lead to a bit of confusion. But remember, it's perfectly okay. The journey to discovering a career that perfectly aligns with your varied interests can take time, but it's never too late. My own son is grappling with choosing a major, and I always advise him to focus on what he's passionate about and where he wants to develop his skills. If it feels right for you to major in a field where you wish to enhance your skills, you can always opt for your passion as a minor. You never have to sacrifice one for the other. So, if Art sets your soul on fire and you're drawn to Nursing, you could major in Nursing and minor in Art.
You could also look into interdisciplinary fields like healthcare design, a realm where your creative flair can be put to use in designing sustainable healthcare spaces. Roles in health communication or medical illustration could also merge your love for art with health-related subjects. Even though there might be concerns about the stability of a career in arts, there's a plethora of opportunities in advertising, marketing, and multimedia production where your creativity can flourish.
As you gear up for the forthcoming semester, I would recommend seeking advice from academic advisors and career counselors. Networking with professionals in your areas of interest could also provide invaluable insights. Always remember, it's perfectly fine to take your time in discovering your passion. Stay receptive to new opportunities and never hesitate to reach out to mentors and professionals in your chosen fields for support.
Having interests in diverse fields like Nursing, Landscape Architecture, and Art can indeed lead to a bit of confusion. But remember, it's perfectly okay. The journey to discovering a career that perfectly aligns with your varied interests can take time, but it's never too late. My own son is grappling with choosing a major, and I always advise him to focus on what he's passionate about and where he wants to develop his skills. If it feels right for you to major in a field where you wish to enhance your skills, you can always opt for your passion as a minor. You never have to sacrifice one for the other. So, if Art sets your soul on fire and you're drawn to Nursing, you could major in Nursing and minor in Art.
You could also look into interdisciplinary fields like healthcare design, a realm where your creative flair can be put to use in designing sustainable healthcare spaces. Roles in health communication or medical illustration could also merge your love for art with health-related subjects. Even though there might be concerns about the stability of a career in arts, there's a plethora of opportunities in advertising, marketing, and multimedia production where your creativity can flourish.
As you gear up for the forthcoming semester, I would recommend seeking advice from academic advisors and career counselors. Networking with professionals in your areas of interest could also provide invaluable insights. Always remember, it's perfectly fine to take your time in discovering your passion. Stay receptive to new opportunities and never hesitate to reach out to mentors and professionals in your chosen fields for support.
Updated
Sarah’s Answer
Hello Ellerie, never let the duration of a journey deter you from pursuing your career dreams. Remember, all valuable things require time and dedication to acquire. Mastery in any field comes from consistent practice and accumulated experience. It's crucial to identify something that sparks your passion and aligns with your future vision. While financial stability is significant, it should not be the sole determinant of your lifelong career choice. Earning a hefty paycheck from a job you detest won't bring you joy. Conversely, a slightly smaller income from a job you adore can lead to immense happiness.
I must confess, that I'm not naturally gifted at taking exams, yet I've managed to pass the state exams for my insurance license, notary license, and interior design exam. So, don't underestimate your abilities. You might need to invest a bit more time in studying, but I have faith in your potential to succeed. Given your youth, you have the luxury of time to weigh all your options. Remember, being creative opens up a world of opportunities.
I'm rooting for you, Ellerie. Stay positive and keep your spirits high.
I must confess, that I'm not naturally gifted at taking exams, yet I've managed to pass the state exams for my insurance license, notary license, and interior design exam. So, don't underestimate your abilities. You might need to invest a bit more time in studying, but I have faith in your potential to succeed. Given your youth, you have the luxury of time to weigh all your options. Remember, being creative opens up a world of opportunities.
I'm rooting for you, Ellerie. Stay positive and keep your spirits high.
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Ellerie !
Your situation may seem complex but there are some preliminary factors that I advise to look at first. One would be to assess what is causing your GPA to be low. Are you taking too many courses in one semester ? Are you taking heavy load classes all in one semester ? Are you not understanding the content of the subjects ? Are any social factors taking away from your study time ? Examine the cause of your low GPA and than consider careers fresh, and set goals for a new approach on how you study and complete projects.
You can obtain a tutor, keep a strict written appointment schedule and give priority to school work, sacrifice your time outside of social activities and focus on your courses, ask your professor for extra help, arrange your classes so they are doable. You can do this but you'll have to be ready to apply yourself. If you want a change in your GPA you must examine the reason why it is low and take active steps to improve it.
As for career choices, with Landscape Architect and Nursing, you will need advanced education for those and be able to pass the licensure or certification exams required. Do not prejudge yourself. You must go for what's in your heart and what you value and it's very possible that you could successfully pursue one of these careers. You have also mentioned that you are a creative person but have predetermined that working in a creative field is not reliable. Are you set on that outlook ? If not, I would suggest possibly considering Art Education to teach at the high school or college level. Again, advance education is necessary plus passing the certification exam. If you are just thinking a creative field is unreliable based on other's opinions or what you've seen, you may want to reconsider going for a creative career if you feel in your heart that is where you excel. No one can predict how one's career can go and there are many avenues and paths for creative careers. You can also do drawing, painting, writing or singing without a degree, but it is best to stay in college as you will meet many contacts and have opportunities with a creative career by taking the academic route.
I don't usually advise this, but in your situation, perhaps taking a break from full time college for a year may help you line things up and see where you really want to be. You can take a night class or one course during that year break to keep you in the swing of things. Look into art schools, vocational schools - schools that have a shorter program than a college degree but can fall into a career that is connected to the medical field.
Low GPA can be a real concern but after you figure out what happened to cause it, you'll have a new outlook. A lot of colleges accept low GPAs, too, so my big advice to you is not to worry, follow your dream career and take your time exploring options. I have left links to some helpful information below that you might want to read so you can start being well informed and throw worrying out the window.
No matter what you choose to do, I wish you all the best and I believe that you do have the necessary drive and interest to pursue a career that you will authentically love.
DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED BY A LOW GPA https://www.collegeadmissionstoolbox.com/5-reasons-not-to-be-discouraged-by-a-low-gpa/
BEAT THE LOW GPA BLUES https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/beat-the-low-gpa-blues
REASONS WHY YOUR GPA IS LOW AND TIPS TO IMPROVE IT https://blog.4tests.com/7-reasons-for-your-low-gpa-and-what-to-do-about-it/
COLLEGES THAT ACCEPT LOW GPA https://blog.collegevine.com/low-gpa-colleges
Your situation may seem complex but there are some preliminary factors that I advise to look at first. One would be to assess what is causing your GPA to be low. Are you taking too many courses in one semester ? Are you taking heavy load classes all in one semester ? Are you not understanding the content of the subjects ? Are any social factors taking away from your study time ? Examine the cause of your low GPA and than consider careers fresh, and set goals for a new approach on how you study and complete projects.
You can obtain a tutor, keep a strict written appointment schedule and give priority to school work, sacrifice your time outside of social activities and focus on your courses, ask your professor for extra help, arrange your classes so they are doable. You can do this but you'll have to be ready to apply yourself. If you want a change in your GPA you must examine the reason why it is low and take active steps to improve it.
As for career choices, with Landscape Architect and Nursing, you will need advanced education for those and be able to pass the licensure or certification exams required. Do not prejudge yourself. You must go for what's in your heart and what you value and it's very possible that you could successfully pursue one of these careers. You have also mentioned that you are a creative person but have predetermined that working in a creative field is not reliable. Are you set on that outlook ? If not, I would suggest possibly considering Art Education to teach at the high school or college level. Again, advance education is necessary plus passing the certification exam. If you are just thinking a creative field is unreliable based on other's opinions or what you've seen, you may want to reconsider going for a creative career if you feel in your heart that is where you excel. No one can predict how one's career can go and there are many avenues and paths for creative careers. You can also do drawing, painting, writing or singing without a degree, but it is best to stay in college as you will meet many contacts and have opportunities with a creative career by taking the academic route.
I don't usually advise this, but in your situation, perhaps taking a break from full time college for a year may help you line things up and see where you really want to be. You can take a night class or one course during that year break to keep you in the swing of things. Look into art schools, vocational schools - schools that have a shorter program than a college degree but can fall into a career that is connected to the medical field.
Low GPA can be a real concern but after you figure out what happened to cause it, you'll have a new outlook. A lot of colleges accept low GPAs, too, so my big advice to you is not to worry, follow your dream career and take your time exploring options. I have left links to some helpful information below that you might want to read so you can start being well informed and throw worrying out the window.
No matter what you choose to do, I wish you all the best and I believe that you do have the necessary drive and interest to pursue a career that you will authentically love.
Michelle recommends the following next steps: