In terms of picking a major, many high school graduates tend to ask counselors which careers have the highest pay. Looking through the windows of the real world and following the path of success tread by others are practical ways to pick a career, but the field you’re passionate about shouldn’t be dwarfed by the high-paying one.

Jobs in health care are in demand nowadays, and new batches of high school graduates are subscribing to the majors in this field.

But before you join the bandwagon, ask yourself if it feels right for you. The major that all your friends chose isn’t definitive of where you actually belong.

I say, choose a major you like instead of letting it choose you. There are only a few more heart-breaking things than finding somebody who is clearly talented and passionate in a certain area, like art, but majoring in a completely different field that has no relation whatsoever to his craft just because everybody tells him to do so.

Also, just because you do well in a certain area doesn’t mean that you should automatically pick that major.

Maybe you don’t belong to a major if it’s all child’s play for you. If a major is not challenging you to become your best, there is no excitement in that because it will quickly get old. You will be left without a feeling of accomplishment because you haven’t reached your full potential.

It’s like driving versus walking to a nearby place. When you drive, you’re taking the shortcut: it gets you there quickly but you don’t actually notice anything but signs and stops, because all you want is to get to the destination.

On the other hand, walking may be more exhausting, but you can’t take the landmarks for granted since it’s obligatory to set your eyes upon the interesting sights along the way. The latter gives you more out of the trip, and when you get to the destination, there’s a story to tell everybody about your adventure.

Another dilemma that you will hear a student crying over is that he doesn’t have something he is passionate about.

I think that any given person has something that he or she is passionate about; it’s just a matter of digging through the treasures of your inner self and discovering a hidden talent or liking.

This leads back to the purpose of taking classes that interest you while you still have time to do so, like in college.Students should pick a major with the idea that they’re looking for something that they care about rather than customizing the search based on the expected salary factor.

I’m an English and journalism major, and I can’t keep track of the number of people who have implied that I’m taking the wrong path.

Many have tried to convert me, saying that if I pursue a field in science, I’m going to be paid more for my worth. To a lot of people I’ve met, any major that is not remotely related to science or math is seen as not serious enough.

I chose not to be compromised by what others think of me. The ironic thing is, as a kid, I despised reading and writing. But in the fateful instant that I gave books and writing a possibility, I broke all kinds of boundaries that all these years I’ve boxed myself into.

I would not be seen as an avid literature fan if not for the liberty that I’ve granted to myself. In giving literature the chance to welcome me, it did its magical task.

It’s healthy to keep an open mind and avoid looking through the stereotype telescope.

Every job has a certain trade-off, and I don’t think that one job is better than the other.

In the aftermath, I believe that everybody will end up the same, no matter what career he chooses, so choose something that you actually want to do.