Why You Shouldn’t Rush Your IT Major in Year 1

Originally published on Medium: Read original article on Medium

So, I’ll share my own story.

I am 17 years old and nearing the end of Year 01, Semester 02, but I still don’t have a major. I’m still considering many streams like AI/ML, SE, Data Science, and Cloud because I personally like these sectors. For example, from the first day I dreamed of entering the IT field, my goal was to become a Software Engineer.

But after I started my foundation, I began to see the uncertainty and the different work cycles of these sectors. I realized I am more into working with the newest technologies and building things through research. So now, I am thinking I should focus on Computer Science, not just SE.

But I am not sure about that either. WHY?

Because I am still in Year 1. Even though people say to pick a major early to become strong in that field, I think it’s a really hard thing to do. Choosing something that will dictate years of a person’s career path is not easy. Some will succeed, but some will fail. Some will just survive in their sector, but the happiness of life is gone. We do everything to live happily one day — that is the top goal for everyone (and for our parents, who want to see us happy first).

So this is my suggestion:

Try to explore everything that catches your eye. And don’t try to finalize your choice in just one day, one week, or one month. Give it at least 4 to 6 months. When you work on what you are actually passionate about, you’ll start to automatically gravitate toward it, and your interest in other sectors will naturally drop. This is where your greatness starts.

This approach can cost so much, like changing academic pathways, managing time, and more. But finally, you’ll find your desired path, and sometimes it will be completely unique. Even when you find something you feel you like, don’t stop searching for new things. There could be uncommon sides out there that you would love the most, but you just haven’t seen them yet.

And finally: Work hard, make goals, achieve them.

The best thing is to invest yourself in something you actually like, something unique, something that can make you feel good.