How in the world could I feel lost when there are so many options to choose from? Well, I feel like my life is full of "what-ifs" and walls to climb over. What if I do not end up going the military? What-if I have a bachelor's degree that still does not get me well above minimum or at least a good rate of return on investment? I do not know. I guess I am over-thinking and I do not know what I want for my future.
I have always loved medicine (the human body's anatomy) since elementary school. I went to go see the Human Body Exhibit at the Whitaker Center in Harrisburg. Ever since then, I have been mesmerized by the human body's anatomy and functions.
I have always loved the Air Force since around the same time I loved medicine. It is a dream of mine to be a part of it and serve my country.
Since high school, I have know through in-depth research that medicine and the Air Force do not mix very well on the officer side of things, however, it is slightly better on the enlisted side (believe it or not).
In the Air Force there is opportunities to be a lawyer or a JAG (Judge Advocate General Officer) and an opportunity to go into the medical field as Nurse.
A few days ago, I found out that you can still get into the Nursing major after taking a few courses and maintaining the required GPA. Easy enough, right?
Wrong, turns out that you can only transfer into nursing if you agree to transfer to select commonwealth campuses like Altoona or Mount Alto. My frustration is boiling.... University Park Nursing is first-year admission only. I knew that it was a direct admission when I came to NSO. However, before reading the bold statement on the Nursing admissions homepage, I thought that I could just transfer into the program through a loop-hole. I was wrong.
Nursing would have worked out perfectly; it was everything I wanted and more. It would allow me to have a good civilian job without the Air Force. It would also provide me with medical opportunities within the Air Force. An added bonus would be the lack of higher level math.
I would transfer to Altoona, but with clinicals during the most time consuming years of ROTC. I just do not see myself being able to make the 45 minute commute here and still be successful in nursing.
There goes that idea (ROAD BLOCK #1).
The next road block I encountered was the need for some combination of Math 140, Math 141, Math 250, Math 251, Physics 211, Physics 212 on every single recommended academic plan for every major I considered. I dropped Math 140 earlier in the semester in hopes of never having to look at Calculus again, but alas my hopes are lost. Unless, I went into a major with a low return on investment (BBH, HD FS, KINES, NUT SC), I am stuck.
After those two road blocks eliminated half the majors, I was ever considering to incorporate my love of medicine with the Air Force and my undergraduate career. I went back to a sort of random thought major that came to mind the beginning of the semester. Why not security and risk analysis? I really liked the ROTC program so far because I was learning military-oriented things. Why not do a major that is focused on defense?
This is the major that I went with (SRA- Intelligence Analysis and Modeling Option), but I put a little twist on it to make it, so that if I wanted too I go back to a science/health related major. I am bad at making decisions.
I do not know what my heart wants, so if you have any suggestions on majors and/or minor combinations, please tell me what you think. I really want to help people, be in the Air Force, and combine my love of medicine (anatomy of the human) and defense.
TIFFANY N. SEIBERT
I think we all can relate to the distress you're feelings right now. It's hard at such a young age to try to decide what you want to dedicate your life to. But, there are so many opportunities and resources out there that can help you find your passion and achieve your goals. Keep your head up and talk to your friends and family and keep an open mind to new possibilities! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I can't provide that much advice. I am also going about the idea of possibly switching majors, and I can agree it's a daunting task. I can also agree that Calculus is a pain that I never want to return to. I was suppose to take Math 140, but then my advisor told me it was not necessary for my intended major. One of my roommates is really struggling with Math 140, so I hope it's something I never have to experience, but we'll see. All I can say is best of luck to the both of us!
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