Finding my Major

During my freshman year at BYU, I was an electrical engineering major. I was good at math and science in high school so engineering seemed relevant. I was told it was a lucrative career path to be in, and I really enjoyed learning about electricity and magnetism. So I went with it.

After two semesters in engineering, I just wasn’t in love with it. I didn’t find the lectures, homework, reading, or even discussions with my classmates interesting. I had an incredible job working as a research assistant at a holography lab, and I still wasn’t in love with what I was doing. My favorite part of that job was talking to my coworkers about non engineering things. In an electrical engineering class, I remember one of my professors going on and on about the difference between a NAND gate and an AND gate and thinking to myself that he and I are very different people who care about very different things. The thought of doing anything related to this field for the next 45 years of my life was not exciting to me. After feeling very out of place for several months, I decided to start looking at other majors.

My then boyfriend (now husband) was studying finance and suggested I try accounting. He had recently taken an accounting course and thought I’d enjoy the material. I figured I had nothing to lose, so I enrolled in the introductory accounting class. My husband was right! I loved accounting on day 1. It was a great fit for me and I’ve never looked back.

A very smart person says this: “Ask yourself continually, ‘Am I having fun or will I soon?’ This [Any] profession is not for most people. If you’re not having fun, consider a different one. But, try to finish the task. It will certainly help you with whatever you do.” I wish I had found this earlier in my life because I love it and agree with it wholeheartedly. There are undoubtedly difficult and unpleasant things in any path. It’s ok to not be having fun 100% of the time. But if you’re not having fun now and won’t be having fun anytime soon, then maybe you should reconsider your major.

To be perfectly clear, there were definitely times when accounting was difficult. I’ve had to drag my feet through many dry textbook chapters. But in accounting, I found that I was always either having fun now, or anticipating having fun soon. I truly enjoyed and looked forward to the majority of my accounting classes. And that is how I’ve been able to get through 2 degrees (I’m working on the third) in this field.