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The hardest decision in life is often choosing a career path. For many of us, that journey begins with selecting a field of study in college. Coming into college, I thought that I wanted to study Criminal Justice with the goal of becoming a detective. I had always been drawn to problem solving and the idea of helping others, inspired in large part by family members who were successful police officers. That inspiration built up tons of excitement, so much so that this was the very first time throughout my academic career that I looked forward to school. Unlike grade school, where classes felt like a chore and the topics were forced, I believed these new courses would finally connect to my passions. In spite of that, as I began attending classes, I struggled with the material and found myself uninterested in the topics. Professors felt distant, the work felt overwhelming, and the pressure to succeed grew heavier by the day. I quickly realized that the field of study that I had chosen was unsuitable for me.

Coming out of high school where I had not performed particularly well, I started to believe my struggles were proof that college was not meant for me. I kept telling myself that everyone else seemed to know exactly what they wanted after graduating high school, while I was wasting time and money in the wrong field. That sense of failure stayed with me.

My turning point came when I decided I needed help. I turned to my peers, and I asked for help, whether it was a friend, a family member, or a professor. The first people I talked to were my parents as they were my guidance all through my life, and always knew what was best for me. My parents knew already that college was going to be a massive challenge for me because of how I struggled in high school, but their encouragement made all the difference. Instead of judgement, they offered perspective and reminded me that struggles don’t define you, they create opportunities for growth.

Following my first year, I switched my major to Security and Defense Policy. It wasn’t a complete departure from Criminal Justice, but it was just enough to reignite my motivation. Since then, I have made the Dean’s List almost every semester and achieved goals I never imagined possible when I was a struggling first-year student. Looking back, the moment I reached out for help and chose to adjust my course of study was not about changing majors, it was about proving to myself that setbacks can become the foundation for growth.

In the end, what I learned is that it is okay not to have all the answers from the get-go. College is not about having a perfect plan from day one. College is about discovering what excites you the most, what challenges you, and what path you feel is right after trial and error.

Struggling in my first major taught me that setbacks are not a sign of failure, they are the stepping stones toward personal growth. Asking for help, leaning on the people who support you, and staying open to change are what truly guides an individual to the right career. That lesson will stick with me not just in my education, but throughout life.