Every day, I'm torn in two different directions by two sides of campus. I constantly switch between the suits, ties and professionalism of Mendoza and DeBartolo to the quirky, mysterious personalities of Haggar Hall. As a sophomore double-majoring in psychology and business, I have two schools trying to prove to me that I will be happier and more successful pursuing their respective career tract. Each is also trying to convince me of its own nobility.
I see the advantages to both. Following psychology, I could end up as an academic exploring the mysteries of the mind and human behavior in research, teach students about a subject that is inherently interesting, at least to me. Pursuing a career relating to my major in business, I have been promised internship opportunities, a high starting salary and the prospects of a long, lucrative career in the corporate world.
This dichotomy of possible futures for me became evident when I started my application for studying abroad. One of the essays was to briefly describe my career plans. I then continued to list two plans that I have laid out for myself, two completely and totally different plans that will probably do nothing but confuse the application reviewers.
Eventually, I will have to make a decision. Hopefully I will be able to find a career that allows me to utilize the skills I hone in both areas. But, I've come to the realization that this opportunity to defer some of the realities of life, for now, is what make these four years of our life so wonderful. The ability to decide to not decide is the beauty of college. I'm going to enjoy this time where I can explore two fields at different places on the academic spectrum.
Coming to Notre Dame, I felt as if I had to make the decision between the two subjects which I found most interesting in high school, so I did. But, it became evident that I could delay my decision and actually decide to study both.
At other schools I may not have been able to do so, and that simply adds to the beauty of this school. We are allowed to pursue whatever academic track we want. The abundance of majors, minors, certificates and electives allows each student to control his or her own destiny.
With all these opportunities comes a responsibility to fully engage oneself in whatever we feel passionate about. Whatever grasps your attention, pursue it deeply and fully. It is this school's goal to make us diverse, well-rounded individuals. So, don't let Our Lady down.
