When Clarissa Watson chose psychology as her major, she knew that it was the right decision for her. When she sits in her classes, sees her professors and meets with the psychology club, she is filled with a sense of belonging and excitement over what she is dedicating her life to.
Emerging adults have many influences in choosing what they want to do for the rest of their lives. As Watson said, “I was trying to understand why things work the way they do, which you can kind of make connections with psychology there. And also why people act the way they do is because of the systems that are put in place. I’m also interested in the way that societal structures like political science and specifically cults affect the therapeutic system today.”
Watson has been able to take her interests and transform them into a career through personal reflection. This level of reflection and sense of satisfaction can be rare for college-aged young adults.
Not every college student has the same certainty in their decisions as Watson. Emerging adults commonly struggle with choosing what they want to do after high school, like choosing a major if they decide to go to college. However, when students walk into Wendi Bennett’s office in Shawnee’s Student Success Center, it is difficult to feel worried or intimidated by adulthood. They come in, backpacks slung over their shoulders and questions in their head. Nonetheless, the plants by Bennett’s window, plushies on the tables and coffee machine running ease their minds. She is a career advisor who helps direct students toward an informed decision toward their college major.
“First and foremost, I ask students whenever I’m doing any kind of career advising, I say, ‘What do you feel is the ideal environment that you want to be in as an adult?’” Bennett said.
She sits at a cozy desk with knicknacks on the table, filled with her interests like Star Wars, Halloween, coffee and more. Her desk is pushed up against the wall, so that her chair is directly diagonal from where her students sit. She positions herself as someone to talk to, not someone intimidating who’s going to judge your decisions.
“Do you want to be out in the elements? Do you want to be in an office setting? Do you want to sit behind a computer 10 hours a day?” Bennett asks students questions to help them not only think about money, but also what they want in their daily lives. Unlike the steps that Watson took, many students do not think to ask these questions.
Bennett has found that many college students need that person who listens but doesn’t tell them what they should do. “One thing that I’ve noticed is the trend that a lot of students choose a major whenever they come in as freshmen based on what parents, or teachers or an adult in their life has influenced them to look at. What we hear a lot is ‘my mom wants me to go into nursing because it makes good money.’” Many students look to Bennett to tell them what to do, but as she explains, that is not her job. Instead, she provides guidance and a listening ear for students to bounce ideas off of and explore different pathways.
Austin Raines, the director of career services at Shawnee, also tries to guide students with their decisions. He talks to them with a smile and a gentle voice through this strenuous time.
“I try to create space for students to explore without feeling pressure to ‘get it right’ immediately, while still providing accurate, research-based information and helping them reflect on what fits them,” he said. “At the end of the day, they are the ones who will live out that career, not me or anyone else.”
Students tend to be pressured by outside influences such as money or parents. While parents can be helpful in helping students make decisions, they can also be a hindrance. Parents can have expectations of what they see their children doing in life, which can be difficult for students to ignore.
For Watson, a junior in psychology, money and parents were not a major factor in her decision. Unlike most college students, she was homeschooled, which affected her experiences with selecting a major. Her parents did not pressure her toward a specific career.
“There was always a kind of respect for the individual,” she said. “If I said that’s what I wanted to them, they were going to support it. They just might not always support, like, the way that I do it if that makes sense.”
That respect for Watson as her own person made selecting her path easier. She had the freedom to explore her own interests throughout her homeschooling, which carried on to post-secondary education.
Watson’s success in choosing her path is what career coaches want for every student they meet. When Raines advises, he wants each student to find their place.
“If there’s one thing I would want students to remember, it’s that this process is theirs,” he said. “There are people, resources and support systems to guide them, but ultimately, they deserve to choose something that brings them purpose, not just a paycheck.”
A sense of purpose and fulfillment is difficult for people to find, let alone young people in their late teens and early 20s. There are other factors besides money and parents that prevent students from finding what they want to do, like career prospects, their school does not offer the major or simply not knowing what you want to do. However, there are resources offered and people that want to help students.
A sense of purpose is exactly what Watson found in her major.
“Psychology fulfills me,” she said. “People say psychologists are lifelong learners, and that’s not wrong. Like, I’m always going to be doing that. You always have to be informed with research.”
She was able to ask herself the correct questions of what she wants in life. Jay will graduate with her degree in the spring of 2027, then she will move on to further education to become a psychologist.
To schedule an appointment with the Office of Career Services, use this link. https://www.shawnee.edu/career-services. Here, you can get help with your resume, cover letter, mock interviews, job search, professional headshots, the Bear Wear Closet and schedule a career and major exploration meeting.
