Ouachita Stories

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Finding a college home if you’re undecided about your major

January 22, 2019 - Shae Parker

Road trip! My best friend and I decided to start our college search journey with a road trip to three different universities. Three days to visit three schools and, potentially, to find our future home for the next four years. Ouachita was the second school we visited on our trip. The moment we parked in front of Cone-Bottoms Hall, I knew this was a special place.

A university should make you feel like an important part of the community, and touring Ouachita gave me that sense of belonging. The personalized parking spot with my name in bold, the knowledgeable tour guide (shout out to Dawson Pritchard!) and the unified feel of the campus showed me just how important the students are to Ouachita. To be honest, I was afraid of not really fitting in at any college because I was undecided as to what my major would be.

I wanted to find my people, a group I felt comfortable with, and Ouachita welcomed me with open arms! Attending various events on campus allowed me to connect with people and make friendships with people of all majors. My freshman year, I mostly took the typical CORE classes (Ouachita’s required classes for all majors) to give me time to explore different areas of study. However, I wanted to find the major that fit my strengths and introduced me to others with a similar passion.

Although I originally felt drawn to education, I wanted to rebel and pursue a different career because my family consists of many educators; I wanted to be different! Although my mom’s stories of how kids have impacted her life and how she found her life’s purpose as a teacher resonated with me, I still doubted that path for myself.

I decided to talk to professors about possible careers in varying fields and found so many on campus willing to walk through this path of discovery with me. One particular discussion led me to realize how God’s call for my life will always outweigh the personal ambitions I set for myself. All along, I had been worrying about standing out rather than fitting in to the plan God has set out for me. This was the moment I ended my journey of indecisiveness.

Beginning my freshman year with (almost) no idea of what major best suited my future career was honestly a bit scary. No one can tell you exactly what you are supposed to do with your life, but Ouachita gave me many opportunities to explore the possibilities. I was able to easily connect with students and faculty to discuss majors and career choices, and the sense of community definitely encouraged me in my search as I made my home at Ouachita.

With the help from my family, professors and our amazing God, I found my place as a secondary education major!