Searching for the “Right” Passion
The experience of being an ever-changing person in an ever-changing environment.
BY: BEATRIZ SILVA
University students face a lot of pressure: developing independence, financial burdens, academic challenges, keeping their mental health in check, and the list goes on.
One pressure that isn’t often talked about is the pressure to find the right passion. After choosing which university to attend and a program to pursue, you might think that at least this pressure was over.
Unfortunately, it isn’t.
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Students I know have, at one point, doubted or reconsidered the path they chose. I must admit to having at least one breakdown a month. The doubts are many; is this the right university? Is this the right program? Is this the right time to go to university? What career will I have with this degree? Am I missing out on another passion?
In my third year at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC), I realized that university is not a time of certainty, it is a time of discovery and change. While I thought the biggest and hardest choice I’d make was deciding my program, it was only the tip of the iceberg.
Studying journalism was not a hard choice for me. I was always passionate about reading and writing and narrowed down the careers I knew that focused on these skills. My problem was and still is, settling for this path.
I started this program thinking the obvious path for me was to work in copy editing or move into publishing. As I began studying and getting more experience in it, I realized that I might like the fieldwork of journalism more than I thought. By the end of my second year, I was content with following a traditional journalism career.
I am now in my third year at UTSC, and my opinion has completely changed again from a few months ago. By doing more hands-on work, I've realized that I might never be a journalist at heart.
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In my third year, having to do more hands-on work, I’ve noticed that this job involves a great deal of engaging with people, and often people who you have no connection with. As a shy person, being constantly sent on assignments that required me to interview people I don’t know has caused me a lot of anxiety and stress. Although I enjoy discovering and writing about new stories, I worry that engaging with people will always be a pain for me. As much as I thought that I could work in journalism without working closely with the public, I’ve realized that this part of the job is ever-present. At this point, all of my initial doubts have returned.
My doubts still scare me. I’ve realized that something else has changed about me in these past few years at UTSC. I used to believe that this was a time to make permanent choices and that as soon as I chose my program and career, there was no going back. I always assumed that growing up was being sure of what you were doing all the time, but have since discovered that is not the case. It is completely normal and okay to be unsure.
According to the University of Tulsa, approximately 80 percent of college students change their majors at least once throughout their degree completion. It is way more common than you might have thought.
Some students report not enjoying the curriculum. Something that I experienced myself when I took a creative writing course believing I would love it since I enjoy writing fiction, until finding out that practicing something as a hobby is not the same as studying it. Others claim to get bored of focusing on one program or simply not understanding the material. Or even a change of mind on the constant dilemma between following a passion or financial stability. Finding out what you are good at is also a reason why some students decide to follow a new path, which makes sense considering that many people have more freedom to explore and engage in different activities during this time.
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Changing your major might seem like a step back for some people. I’ve been told, for instance, that changing my major in my second year of university would significantly impact me in the future or simply mean that I wouldn’t get a degree at all. However, another study concluded that students who change their major may actually have more chances of graduating. Moreover, the same study shows that students who change majors in the first three years are usually able to graduate by the same time they would have initially graduated.
A different survey also found that approximately 61 percent of graduates would change their major if they had the chance. Of course, it is not my place to imply whether they are happy with their life outcome or not. But at the same time, these statistics make me wonder about how many people regret not following their hearts on this matter.
I have a friend who once told me he would change his major to something that he hated because it would give him more money and allow him to retire earlier. I honestly believe this is a valid path to follow, but personally not something I would like to find myself in. I hope to be able to enjoy whatever career I choose for myself whether it be journalism or not.
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This being said, my experience so far and the research that I have done have taught me one thing: it is okay to change your mind. If you honestly believe that there is something that could make you happier and have the means to do it, why not try it? Changing your mind does not make you unsuccessful and it is totally common.
