Impossible is Nothing: How the Right College Major Changes Everything

October 7, 5:02 PMDenver Higher Education ExaminerBarb Gerhardt

Previous Next

1 comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Denver Higher Education Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

About six months ago, a student (I’ll call him Bob) made an appointment to talk with me about his choice of major. Approximately 10 minutes later, I received a call from Bob’s father, who was worried Bob was putting too much emphasis on what he can’t do and not realizing all he can do.

All his life, Bob wanted to be an engineer. A freshman, he had signed up for the recommended and required courses and eagerly attended. Unfortunately, Bob’s love of engineering was bigger than his ability to complete the coursework. It wasn’t for a lack of trying. Bob spent hours every day reading course material, talking to his professors, doing extra work, and working with tutors. Nothing helped. He got behind in other courses, wasn’t getting enough sleep, and generally felt that it would be impossible for him to earn a college degree.

Here’s something to keep in mind: Impossible is Nothing.

The first step was getting Bob to realize he wasn’t a failure. Far from it. He had a rare opportunity to discover not only his greatest talents, but to analyze what it was that he most loved about being an engineer so that he could find a major perfectly suited to his talents. That’s a gift not everyone receives.

As we talked, he told me about his courses. The one he loved most was a computer course. His face lit up and he smiled for the first time since walking through my door as he talked about computer courses he had taken in high school and what he loved about the one he was currently taking. We capitalized on the perfect major: computer engineer. Although it wasn’t the type of engineering he thought he would be doing, it was still engineering. Instead of taking 4 complex math courses, he would only have 1 – and he had already taken it! He was free to explore the major’s course offerings and enjoy them.

The following quarter, Bob was a new student. Gone was the frown, the fatigue, and, most importantly, the fear. He talked enthusiastically about his courses and everything he was learning. Far from feeling that a college degree would be impossible, he started talking about graduate school options, internships, and substantial projects he wanted to complete in the ensuing years of undergraduate school.

Bob’s decision to change his major had huge benefits. If he had given up on himself and believed he wasn’t intelligent enough to finish what he considered an impossible degree, he certainly might have dropped out of college. Although that would have narrowed some career choices, I believe the greater threat was to Bob’s sense of worth. He had repeatedly told me he “wasn’t smart enough” or “lacked the ability” to become an engineer. Once he started taking courses in the right major for him, he realized he’s actually quite intelligent. He found a new confidence in his abilities and, I think, a new respect for himself.

The greatest lesson Bob learned wasn’t from a textbook: By keeping himself open to opportunity, obstacles became opportunities he could use to propel himself forward.