There seems to be this emphasis and pressure on major selections and future job plans in college, and maybe those pressures are to be expected for all you “future leaders of America.” This seems logical. College is usually the last stop on that midnight train to adulthood (and oh is the journey filled with melancholy).

I certainly don’t have any objections to future planning for careers or higher education. However, I do have a problem with the finality that many students feel while finishing their education.

First, I have met few people who actually seem to be on their way to doing what they truly love. I have done a completely scientific and accurate study on the current majors of students’ academic choices and dreams for the future. Here’s the final result: many people in college and in entry-level jobs are doing something that they don’t entirely like let alone love (GASP!).

Go ahead and ask yourself. Am I studying something that will ultimately lead me to the dreams that I have for the future? Many of the people I’ve asked this question have answered no, and I think that’s Taylor-Swift-song-sad. We’ve been trained to think that titles, degrees and careers in “respectable” disciplines will fill some deeply rooted desire in our hearts. Can I save you some time – It won’t.

No matter how hard you try, you cannot create for yourself artificial happiness. Here’s a good test for doing what you love. If there’s some interest you have that you would do for free and you have the talent or knowledge to carry out this interest, maybe you should start your career selection in that area (pop psychology – pay me). 

Those interests are there for a reason, and ignoring those interests will only spawn resentment, frustration, and overall dissatisfaction with your daily life.

Have you ever decided to pass through the doors of the Career Center? In case you didn’t know, there are two separate areas at UTSA where you can get career advice and training for your future ambitions of that corner office and six figure salary job that will make all your dreams come true (including attention from the hottest and shallowest members of society).

The Career Center website is filled with recruiting events, a job bank, resume and cover letter templates, interview preparation resources and mock interviews, and internships. They even offer eating seminars where you can learn how much you’ve been humiliating yourself over the course of your life at the dinner table.

However, the Career Center doesn’t have a crystal ball or a magnifying glass to see who you actually are inside. Only you know that.

So the next time you’re considering jumping into a discipline or career field that is not something you’re interested in, just remember: life is too short to spend it doing something you hate. Do something that you love, and the whole world will be better because of it (now pay me for bettering your life).