My parents are very practical people, and when it was time for me to go off to college, they wanted me to be practical too. They had actually both selected their college by major, and they thought that I should do the same. They asked me what college major I wanted, and expected an immediate answer. I was flabbergasted! Here I was, having just graduated high school and ready to get on with that the rest of my life, and they expected me to have already made the decision! All of my friends were choosing the schools they were going to based on college ranking, and they wanted me to choose a college by major? I hadn't even thought about it, which is what I told them.
They were every bit as surprised by me as I was surprised by them. It was as if we were speaking two different languages. I could not believe that they thought that I would be ready to choose colleges by major, and they could not believe that I hadn't even thought of it. The very next day, they gave me a list of salaries by college major, as if this would help me make my decision. To my mind, they were acting even more ridiculous than before! Wasn't I supposed to find out what really appealed to me? How could I know that without taking some classes first? I told them that I would go to a good university program, and that my academic performance would make them proud, but that wasn't enough for them. They were afraid that if I didn't choose my college by major, I would end up becoming involved in something frivolous.
It turns out that the degree I ended up getting was something that they would see as frivolous. I majored in creative writing, the only artistic type in a family that valued equally science and accounting. At first they were furious, but after a while they get used to the fact that I was going to go my own way. I wouldn't say that they were happy about it – resigned was more the word I'd use. Even so, they did seem somewhat impressed with my conviction. I refused to choose my college by major, refused to go into an area that they approved of, but I didn't back down when they made things tough for me. Sticking to your guns is respected in my family, even when they don't respect your decision.
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