1. 盲目追求高收入专业

 

The mistake happens when you're choosing a major solely¹ based on money. You need to also consider your passions, your dislikes, and most importantly, your happiness. Can you see yourself investing the next 40 years or so in this career without getting bored?

如果你完全基于收入选择专业，那就错了。你还需要考虑个人爱好和憎恶，最重要的是，你的幸福。你能想象未来40多年投身于某个职业而不感到厌倦吗？

 

The truth is, choosing a major with high-paying career options will not actually guarantee you a high-paying job. It will all depend on position openings and your competitors when you graduate. If there are limited openings, the job will go to someone who is truly interested in the field.

事实上，选择一个有高薪职业的专业并不能保证你能得到一份高薪工作。这将完全取决于你毕业时的职位空缺和竞争对手。如果名额有限，那么真正对这个专业感兴趣的人才能获得这份工作。

 

You should choose a major that you are driven to succeed in, even if you won't make as much money.

你应该选择一个让你渴望有所成就的专业，即便赚不了那么多钱。

 

2.把兴趣当成热爱的事业

 

There is a balance that should be maintained when you're choosing a major. You want to pick something that interests you, but you need to be sure that you won't get sick of it as time progresses.

选择专业时，应该注意平衡。你想挑选自己感兴趣的专业，但是你需要确保不会随着时间的推移对它们产生厌倦。

 

Often times, people will confuse their hobbies with their passions. Merriam-Webster defines a hobby as "a pursuit outside one's regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation²."

很多时候，人们会把自己的爱好和热爱混为一谈。韦氏词典将爱好定义为“在日常工作之外的一种追求，特别是为了放松。”

 

According to a photographer named Jenika, passions differ from hobbies in that passions are not relaxing. "Passions don't leave you alone. Passions insert themselves into your life whether you have time for them or not. Passions soothe³ you and drive you crazy at the same time," she said on her Psychology⁴ for Photographers blog.

摄影师杰尼卡说，热爱不同于爱好，因为热爱不会让人感到放松。她在自己的摄影师心理学博客上写道：“热爱不会离开你。无论你有没有时间，热爱都会融入你的生活。热爱在治愈你的同时也让你疯狂。”

 

A hobby is never meant to be your priority. When you choose to study your hobby-to build your life around it-it can lose its appeal, and then it won't be relaxing anymore.

爱好从来不应该是你的优先考虑项。当你选择将爱好作为学业并赖以为生时，它可能会失去吸引力，然后它就不再令你感到轻松了。

 

Choosing a major based on your passion means pursuing what you love despite all the work that goes into it. When evaluating your choices, you should think ahead to how you might feel about the field by the time you finish college.

基于热爱选择专业意味着不管付出多少努力都要追求你所爱的东西。在评估你的选择时，你应该提前考虑到大学毕业时你对这个专业的感觉。

 

3.不做功课，凭感觉选择专业

 

Being interested in a major is a start, but don't stop there. Researching the field will help you be sure that a major is right for you. If you know someone in the field or with that major, ask them for some input⁵.

对一个专业感兴趣只是开始，但不要止步于此。对这个专业做些研究有助于你确定自己是否适合。如果你在该领域或专业有熟识的人，可以向他们征求一些意见。

 

Consider the entire journey you'll pursue-what kind of coursework the major demands, how many years of school you'll need, and what job prospects⁶ will be available to you with a degree. If you've done your investigating and you're still interested, dip your toes in before you commit. Try to get some experience-shadow someone in a business office.

考虑一下你的求学之路，你的专业需要修哪些课程，你需要多少年的学习时间，以及获得学位后有什么样的工作前景。如果你已经做了调查，而且仍然感兴趣，那么在做出决定之前，先试着接触这个领域。尝试获得一些经验，跟着一个职场人实地参观学习。

 

Many times, the idea of a specific major is better than the reality for students who enter it blindly. A little research before choosing a major will go a long way to prepare you for what's in store.

很多时候，对于盲目选择某个专业的学生来说，现实比理想更骨感。在选择专业之前做一点研究会让你为未来做好准备。

 

4. “父母想让我选择这个专业”

 

The opinions of your friends and family aren't something to ignore, but the choice is ultimately yours. You're the one doing the work and earning the degree. You'll only truly enjoy and succeed in the field if you wanted to be in it in the first place.

朋友和家人的意见不容忽视，但最终还是你自己的选择。你才是那个为之付出努力并获得学位的人。首先你自己要喜欢这个专业，你才会真正享受并取得成功。

 

If anyone wants to help you in choosing a major and you wholeheartedly agree with their opinions, then go with it. But if you want your future to go in any other direction, speak up. Explain your side-what makes you so passionate⁷ about choosing a different major?

如果有人想帮你选择专业，而你完全同意他们的意见，那没问题。但如果你想让你的未来朝着其他方向发展，那就说出来吧。阐明你的立场，你希望选择其他专业的原因是什么？

 

Remember that college is an investment of both your time and money. The only way to get the best outcome is to shape your own future.

记住，上大学是一种时间和金钱的投资。获得最佳回报的唯一方法就是亲手打造自己的未来。

 

5. “我喜欢的专业太难了，还是换一个吧”

 

Don't settle. You're passionate about a field of study and you've researched it. You found that it's a lot of work, which is a little intimidating⁸. However, if you're motivated enough to succeed, you can earn the degree.

别将就。你对某个专业充满热爱，而且你已经做过研究。你发现需要下很大的功夫，这让你有点望而生畏。然而，如果对成功的渴望让你有足够的动力，你就可以获得学位。

 

Honestly, there is no such thing as an "easy" major anyway. From an outside perspective, it may seem simple, but the students doing the work can probably tell you some horror stories. Every major has them. Never take the “easy” road when it comes to your future.

老实说，根本就没有所谓的“轻松”专业。从旁观者的角度来看，可能很简单，但这个专业的学生可能会告诉你一些恐怖的故事，每个专业都有。在关系到你的未来时，千万不要走“轻松”的路。

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