College Students Can Look Forward to Successful Careers Despite Difficulties in Deciding on a Major

According to research from Penn State University, a maximum of 80% of college underclassmen are undecided about their majors; while 50% percent of college students in the US, who have declared their majors, change their majors at least once. With this in mind, it should be noted that initially having a clear picture of where one is headed in life is not the sole determinant of leading a prosperous career. Some may view indecisiveness in choosing or maintaining a major as a predictor for an unsteady and bleak career outlook. However, this is not often times the case. Though the journey to discovery may be tough, there will come a time when individuals will find their places in life even if they weren't originally steered in that direction.

This point is illustrated in the case of James Morris, the executive chef at the luxury hotel Renaissance Worthington in Fort Worth, TX that attracts both residents and tourists. Morris describes his humble beginnings as a college student at A&M University in Texas who changed his major every year within his seven years in college, wavering from landscape architecture, to business management, to sociology. He decided to pursue cooking after working his first job at the restaurant International House of Pancakes (IHOP) while in college and realizing that he wanted a cooking profession that allowed him to use his creativity. After meeting the downturns of restaurant closings during his journey as a cook at various restaurants, he began cooking for a number of hotels for ten years before unveiling his destination at Renaissance Worthington where he has worked for 20 years managing the kitchen and catering services and recently overseeing the new restaurant called Vidalia's that opened within the hotel in 2007 (Wimmer).

From this one sees that while it is ideal to envision one's calling from the start, it may not always happen this way. It is faulty to have an "all or nothing perspective" in which one must have all the pieces of the puzzles put together or else they are headed nowhere in life. The crux of the matter is that it takes time to find one's path in life as big things start in small places. College students who have a vague knowledge of their plans in life and who waver in choosing the best major to pursue can be assured that they still stand a chance for a bright future.

Sources

Leonard, Michael J. "Major Decisions." Pennsylvania State University website.

"The Worthington, A Renaissance Hotel." Marriott website.

Wimmer, Leslie. "From Humble Beginnings Chef Began His Cooking Career at IHOP." Fort Worth Business

Press website.