I went into college as a freshman with a laser focus. I was going to become a music teacher. I decided on this path in high school, and it remained largely unwavering as I entered college. Generally speaking, this is a benefit because the music education programs at most universities (even more true back in the 90s when I was completing my undergraduate studies) are intense. My bachelor's was 144 cr., and that was normal. Even today, it is relatively common to have music education degrees take 130-150 cr. when most other majors are 120 credit hours. All but six of my 144 cr. were required for graduation. I do not offer this to brag, but I want to highlight that graduating in four or even four and a half as I did doesn't leave much room for extras.
However, I did not spend the entire time focusing on music education. There were two points when the plan deviated slightly.
In the Spring of my first year, I decided to fulfill my science requirement. I had no interest in the life sciences. In truth, chemistry scared me a little bit. I loved the physics course I took in high school, so I thought it would be fun to learn more about it. I enrolled in the non-calculus-based version of physics. I excelled in the class. I loved the subject. I was fascinated by the material. I decided that I wanted to explore this major further. I went to the chair of the physics department because I wanted to add a physics major to my plan. I wasn't talking about science education with a focus on physics, just physics.
After a lovely conversation with the chair, I added the physics major. He looked at my high school transcript and said, "You will need to take calculus." I thought, "No problem, I did well enough in math in high school (I never took pre-calc or calc)."
I entered my first calculus class on the first day of my sophomore year. I had my notebook and calculator in hand. 15-minutes into the class, I leaned over to the person next to me and asked, "Where are the numbers? I thought this was a math class." After an awkward chuckle, I quietly collected my things and exited the classroom. I wanted to be a physicist, but not if it meant learning calculus. After a while, I probably would have been fine in the calculus class, but my desire not to learn calculus was stronger than my desire to learn physics. I went to my new physics department advisor, thanked him for his time, and removed the major from my program.
The second came after my student teaching. I had student taught in the Spring of my senior year. However, due to some challenges in music history, I was short of a few credits, so I had to return for an additional semester before graduating. Student teaching, especially my middle school experience, had been rough, and I was no longer sure I wanted to do this "music teacher" gig. I had one semester to figure it out. In that final semester, I only had to take two classes, but I needed four to be full-time and eligible for financial aid.
One of the classes I used to fill the void was a computer science class, C++ programming. I enjoyed working with computers, and I was reasonably adept at programming. The class was fascinating. I excelled quickly. Between the ease of this class and my struggle in student teaching, I spend most of the semester considering switching my major to computer science. With just six credits to finish my college degree, I was ready to add two more years. I admit it was a serious conversation with my mother, who informed me my parents would not be paying for two more years, and that convinced me that now was not the time to change majors. I went on to graduate just a few months later.
I have spent nearly 30 years in education. I also know that I have spent many moments in those 30 years questioning if education is where I was meant to be or where I ended up because it was the safer choice. How would things be different if I had leaned into calculus in my sophomore year or fully committed to a new major just months before graduation? I do not regret the time I have spent in education. I have met wonderful people and had the opportunity to be a part of the lives of some truly exceptional young people. However, as I get older and perhaps wiser, I wonder if this was the path I was meant to travel. I do not think I was meant to be a physicist or a computer scientist. Still, I also know that the focus of my chosen major as an undergrad prevented me from exploring other potential avenues. Additionally, my desire for the security of a career in education was more important than some of the different fields that I excelled in.
The lesson to be learned here is to lean into potential avenues and interests when you can. Make time to explore possibilities and "I wonders." You never know what doors they may open up for you. If you go to college, explore experiences outside your major. If you go to the workforce, then make sure to try things outside of your chosen job to see what possibilities they may hold. My work in identity has taught me that aligning what you do with who you are is one of the keys to long-term happiness. We only get one trip around the globe. Spend your time doing what you love and what fulfills you!
Be well!
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