Follow your heart’s desire…
Choosing a major is a major decision for all college students whether you are in your first year of college or beyond. Often pressure in choosing a major comes from family, peers, the economy, and popularity; but there’s also a pressure that should requires attention; the blood pressure that comes from your heart. It’s that desire and passion in your heart that gives you a rush and pumps your adrenaline in excitement. It can difficult to listen to you heart when pressure from family, and peers, speak so loudly. But your heart knows you best. When it was time for me to choose a major, many people advised me to major in a business, law or medicine because those are the most so-called “lucrative industries”. But in spite of their pressure, I listened to my heart and decided to major in journalism where the average entry- level salary ranges from the late twenties to the lower thirties. I admit that I sometimes think about the struggle of paying off student loans that I may endure, yet I remember my that my happiness is priceless, and selling out my heart may lead to heartaches I never imagined. I am a firm believer that if you follow your passion and use your gifts the rest will fall in order, and I wonder if discontentment with life’s major decisions is linked to the reason why heart disease is the number one killer amongst women.

Listen to your inner child…
Believe it or not we all have gifts and talents. In my elementary years, I loved to dress in my Sunday’s best and talked to myself in the mirror pretending to be a broadcast journalist. I’d recite anything from my holiday recitations to the pledge of allegiance. This childhood exercise always helped me to be at ease and most relaxed when I was in front of people then, and it helps me just the same today. The inner-child in me allowed me to use my imagination as big as I saw the world which was not nearly as big as I know it is now. Child hood dreams can last a life time. Don’t you hear that Toys ‘r’ Us Tune? No matter how old we get, that inner-child is called “imagination” and it is always with us. There are countless stories of entrepreneurs, million and billionaires that started out their destinies from childhood pursuits like selling sour lemonade for 25 cents a cup to thirsty passersby’s from their front lawns. Now they live their dreams, their childhood dreams or even adulthood dreams in a child-like manner. Regardless, the inner-child in us all can serve as our biggest inspiration.

Intern, Intern, Intern…
I’ve been fortunate to have some paid internships while in college but for many of you that opportunity has yet to present itself. But don’t let that infamous word, “unpaid” deter you. Use an internship to get a feel of what the future may be like; also it can help make sure that your major is what you really want for yourself. I have a friend who entered college as a chemistry major, then switched to pharmacy and then to nursing and finally to psychology. Now that we are to graduate in 2009, she expects to pay for another year and a half in order to fulfill her requirements to graduate. She admits that she never interned in any of her majors and wishes that she had at least once to get a feel of what the best fit was for her. Speaking of fits make sure you major fits you like a pair of $500 Louboutin shoes or at least imagine. You don’t want to spend all that money on a pair of shoes that is too tight (meaning that it will not allow you to use your talents) or too short (meaning that it is a major that will not stifle your growth).Interning also helps you build great career contacts, learning tips, and hands on experience from successful individuals in your career. It’s a win-win situation.

Make a list of priorities…
Being rational with time and money management will help make college life easier for you and possibly for your parents/guardians who are helping to pay for your education. With money you may have to sacrifice. You can again rely on your imagination when eating Ramen noodles like their gourmet Asian meals. You may also have to sacrifice your time. Every party does not equate to party time. The sacrifice may be hard to endure, but will pay off as you mature into adulthood and delve into your future. Don’t you remember the good ole’ elementary school days when we had to make Venn diagrams and those popcorn brainstorming charts? Ten years later, those charts can still be put to good use. Prioritize what you want and refuse to do in life. Such a list can help you make a decision in what is best for you.

Follow through…
Focus on finishing college. Imagine yourself walking to the podium at graduation with your proud loved ones in the audience. Imagine what you plan for yourself beyond graduation. Keep your head in the clouds and keep your eyes on the prize. Follow through with what you planned for and said to yourself when you decided to go to college.