Should I follow my dreams or my family dreams?

joannnawil5 · #1 10-02-2008

Come fall 2010 I will be the first one in my family to go to college. My mom and almost my entire family thinks that I should be a lawyer or a doctor or some other profession that makes lots of money. All my life I have been labeled the 'smart one' and my mom constantly brags to all of her friends about how I'm going to make something out my life. They all have very high expectations of me.

The thing is I don't want to be a lawyer or a doctor. I want to be a writer. Writing is where I find my peace and relaxation in. I can honestly say that it is my passion and I definitely want to be a writer when I get older. The problem is that my mom thinks it's not a job that makes a lot of money and if I go to college and major in journalism or english it will be a "waste" of my education. I don't want to be stuck in a job that I don't enjoy doing and basically become some angry and stressed out women because I'm not doing something that makes me happy, no matter how much money it makes and writing is something that I'm 100 percent sure about.

So my question is should I go to college and become a lawyer. Make my family proud and ultimately end up unhappy. Or should I follow my dream of being a writer, despite what my family thinks of it, and never hear the end of it till the day I die. I know the answer seems quite obvious but my family means a lot to me and I don't want to disappoint them

TSUblueTiger · #2 10-02-2008

Hi joannnawil5!

You should pursue a career that you are passionate about doing long term. If you have an entrepreneurial mentality, you should be able to make money as a writer. If you are undecided about becoming a doctor or lawyer, just make sure you take courses that will prepare you for the LSAT or MCAT. Therefore, you can major in English and minor in pre-med or pre-law. Actually, it’s fairly common for English majors to attend law school. Just tell your academic advisor about your intentions and they will assist you with selecting courses. Follow your heart and you will be ok. Best wishes with everything!

smc112 · #3 10-02-2008

Follow your passion because you will have to be the one actually doing the job. Going the doctor/lawyer route takes a lot of time and dedication and you better know for sure you want to do it. There are a lot of options in journalism. You can write for a local newspaper, work at a news station, or write for a magazine. Also, you can actually go to medical school with a degree in Journalism or English. Medical schools tend to choose people with diverse majors. The key is to major in something that you like, and then if you decide you want to go to law school or medical school, you will have that option as well.

Phylicia215 · #4 10-03-2008

I think you should choose a major that fits you and something you think you would want to do for the rest of your life. Im a nursing major, but my family much rather me be a doctor and major in Pre-Med. I really have no desire to be a doctor and I definitely have no desire to be in school for a very long time trying to be one. so I think you should follow your dreams and be happy. But find a good career that you will be able to find a good jobs in after college too.

smc112 · #5 10-03-2008

If all else doesn't work out, you can always certify to teach.

theTRUTH · #6 10-07-2008

These people are lying to you.

We are in a recession. The economy sucks. You need to have money and lots of it.

Be a doctor or lawyer. When you see your paychecks, you wont regret it.

smc112 · #7 10-09-2008

Going the doctor route takes a couple of years. She won't see the fruit of her reward for a long time, and about the time she finishes school hopefully the economy will be better. So if she is trying to find a job because of the economy, right now, she might need to pick something such as nursing or becoming a teacher. Also, I would suggest her to become a doctor instead of an lawyer, if she has to choose between the two. There are so many law graduates coming out of school and can't find a job. Also, a lot of attorney's aren't making a lot. You find teachers making more than attorney's these days. The only attorney's that are making big money are those who work for huge law firms that handle car accidents and other law suits.