Students attending Middle College High School are granted the opportunity to attend Santa Ana College courses for free. This allows them to explore different pathways to get an early advantage for college choices in the future. With so many options to choose from, how does one find the right pathway to explore their passion? People tend to specialize in majors known for being high-paying, like engineering, medicine and computer science. However, there are plenty of other majors that students can experience that teach them new things that may influence them. Exploring new pathways allows students to explore and discover hidden interests that they never considered before.
When it comes to picking a major for college, there are so many options that it can get confusing. You might pick a major that sounds cool, but end up hating the work. It’s normal to have an experience like this, which is why you should spend your time exploring different classes instead of diving deep into one subject.
These kinds of experiences tend to be related to STEM majors. Students go into it with expectations that they can make easy money, but then quit as soon as they start to struggle. Students typically give up on a major because the skills and values do not align with their own. Students should prioritize finding a pathway that shares values and skills that students treasure. Senior Landon Mendoza shares his experiences in going from biochemistry to physics, a switch that suited his preferences better.
“But I guess about that, it was just too hard. I wanted to pursue something that was, I guess, more intuitive, something that aligned with me better, and that’s what physics did,” Mendoza said.
Odds are you will end up changing majors somewhere down the road. You might stay in a similar field, but most people end up changing majors. An example could be going from a doctor who specializes in surgery to a doctor who focuses on neurology. Which is why early in college, you should focus on exploring different pathways.
As a freshman or sophomore, your main focus should be exploring different classes to find out which pathway would suit you the best. Especially while you are a student at Middle College High School, since you do not have to worry about paying for your classes. Use this opportunity to explore new things without worrying about any major consequences. This is one of the many benefits you get for being a student at MCHS.
SAC provides different introductory-level courses for students to take that let them get the basic idea of what the major provides. For example, there are introductory chemistry level courses that you can take that introduce basic levels of chemistry. As you complete each course, you are given the option to take more advanced courses.
Senior Alex Flores, a chemistry major, shares his experience with starting his chemistry journey. He explains how he goes from his high school class to exploring new college courses.
“The courses I would recommend are, of course, high school chemistry, because that’s where you start off. But at the college, what I would say is Chem 209 because it’s what you start off with, and then go on to 219 and then 229 to continue the general chemistry way,” Flores said.
Flores was able to discover his passion for chemistry by exploring new classes and learning new things. The same can be applied to anyone, no matter the subject they end up pursuing. As long as you are willing to try and explore new subjects, you will find something that interests you.
Of course, when considering what major you want to pursue, it is important to consider how your choices will affect your future decisions. The main worries people have to consider when thinking about the future are college choices and career options.
When it comes to college, you have to think about how your major will impact your choices for college. Depending on the major you choose, your choices in college will change. Some colleges may not offer your chosen major, and others may be the best option for that major.
Senior Nolan Vo, a student in culinary arts, has limited options because of his choice in culinary. Not every college offers it and those that do offer culinary arts are far away from home.
“This affects it a lot, because it narrows my choices a lot, since there’s not many culinary schools around in America and all the good ones are in Europe,” Vo said.
Picking your major will also have an impact on which colleges you apply to because some colleges that you want to go to may not offer the intended major. In that situation, you would have to find a different major to focus on or go to a different school that you may not like.
You will have similar worries when it comes to picking a career. When deciding on a major, you want to know what the education you receive will do to help you and others in the future. The main issue you need to worry about when considering majors in college and career choices is how learning the subject will benefit you and others.
If you need help deciding what you want to major in, then you should look for resources that can benefit you. Whether this resource is a person, like our counselors or teachers. They can help you find specific interests that determine your choices for majors.
“One of them is probably like my counselor, who helped me find out about that certificate, and they help plan my schedule for my classes,” Vo said.
Another possibility is using online resources that help you find information on what you want to do. For example, you may find a website that gives you a quiz to determine what kind of values you prioritize and then connects you to careers that match those values.
Each major has its own pros and cons, so when you are picking between majors, you need to know which majors have the most pros that help you. You should focus on a job that you enjoy doing, but you also need to consider money. Being happy will not help with paying for college.
Flores shares how doing chemistry is fun for him and that he learns something that interests him that can help others. Vo and Mendoza shared similar responses, believing that the choices they made can help others while learning stuff that they enjoy.
Just keep in mind that when you are deciding on your major, you should consider which majors will benefit you in the long run. Think about your future and do not be afraid to second-guess yourself. You will always have time to change your mind while you are an MCHS student. You do not have to worry about financial problems. Do the things you do because you want to and not because you have to. Doing work that you like will make things easier for yourself and the people you help.
