Decisions, Decisions...

I CAN'T MAKE UP MY MIND!

I've been thinking about majors and what I want to do with my life for the past couple of weeks.  Generally, this is something you'd make up your mind about before you even apply to college or at least during the application process.  Not me apparently.  Well, not now anyway.  When I applied and got excepted to Montreat here in North Carolina I was dead set on majoring in Elementary Education and going through the process to become a high school math teacher.  However, I kind of made that decision really quick off the cuff because I didn't have any other ideas as to what I wanted to do for a career.  I figured, well, I like school, and I love kids, so why not teach?  Now that I'm here, though, and have been thinking about what I truly want to do with my life, I just can't figure out what I really want.  I know I love people and want to work in a place when I can interact and hopefully make a difference in people's lives.  The problem is I don't know how to go about doing this.  I also love sports and being an athlete so it'd be cool if I could include that in my future some how.  This is why I'm now considering majoring in psychology.

Psychology would require graduate school, which is a lot more schooling and money, but it also holds the work world at bay for a few more years; well, kinda.  Not really I guess.  When it comes down to it, the "real world", as it is referred to so often, is already here and hitting me like Irene hit Wilmington.  Anyway, back to psychology.  I think I could be really happy in psychology.  If I major in psychology and get my degree, I can then go to graduate school for sports psychology and work with athletes.  Or I could go for school psychology and work in any school with kids, which would also be cool.  Being in a school setting would be cool because I'd still be on a school schedule, which lets be honest really isn't that bad.  I mean, who doesn't love summer break? I think the biggest reason I'm torn between education and psychology is the schedule and the opportunity to work with kids who are at a crossroads in their lives like I am now.

Education has many pros and cons.  For instance, working with kids and young adults and hopefully making an impact on their lives would be awesome.  I think I would love every minute of it.  It also doesn't require nearly as much schooling as psychology.  I could even coach at a school if I were to become a teacher one day.  The biggest turn off from teaching is I don't truly know if I want to be in a school environment for my whole life.  I know I'd enjoy it for a little bit, especially not being the student, but I'm not entirely sure I'd be happy doing it until I'm not working anymore.

On top of this decision, there is also the option of major in either psychology or education, and minoring in the other.  I don't know which on I would major or minor in.  I guess that would just depend on which I decide I want to do more.  There is also a chance I could major in psychology and minor in something like physical education and work at a school doing both school psychology and teaching physical education.  But, I think to do this I would still have to major in education... I JUST DON'T KNOW! There are too many options within the two fields and I just can't decide what I really want to do with my life.

What it all boils down to is one very confused Samie who realizes that she doesn't actually have to declare a major until her junior year.  That doesn't mean I'm any less confused and slightly stressed about it.  I'm still thinking about it a lot and have come no closer to a decision.  I also haven't changed anything with my classes or plan to major in elementary education.  So for right now I'll continue to think and think and think about it.  Also, my dad will probably read this and call me with some sage advise or random question that is supposed to help, but will really just leave me thinking just the same (I love you for this dad and you have permission to call me with your sage advise).

Well, I'm done thinking and writing about this for the night.  Plus, I have to go finish my laundry and I'm hungry since the caf food sucked again, so I'm going to make a pb&j!

Bite me "real world",
Samie