Interview with Mark Swain

Swain, Mark. Personal Interview. 11 November 2014.

Q: How do you know what to choose for a major?
A: Beginning freshmen year of college, it is not the best time to choose a major. Choosing a major is a personal choice and you know what your major will be when your ready. To choose a major personal choice, interests, going to websites such as the Bureau of Labors Statistics, taking aptitude tests, and following steps of relatives should be taken into consideration.

Q: What to do with your passions/interests?
A: If you find that you have many passions, you can consider yourself as a passionate person? If you feel strong about a passion follow it and pursue it.

Q: If you could picture yourself doing it, should it be pursued?
A:  If it is a passion, then yes. However, be careful to not choose a blind passion. This meaning, choose something that you know you have a passion for. Not something where you would change your mind about it. Get well educated in that passion before pursuing it and get advised by someone in that profession.

Q: Should income be taken into consideration?
A: In my opinion, yes. It is not unreasonable to think about what your income will be. You will have bills to pay and you would want to buy things you want. If you aren't making enough money to cover basic needs, then you should change your passion into something that will allow you to pay for these things. You don't want to be 40 and still living with your parents.

Q: By choosing just one thing, would there be regrets in the other things you didn't try to pursue?
A: Possibly. There will always be regret in things you choose to do. To avoid regret, think carefully about your options and what you really want to do. There are even times when you finally finish school and go into the field to find out that you don't like that specific profession. As a freshmen at Lewis, I was going to become a male nurse. However, I found art interesting in part from my mother and I decided to switch to art. I love my job now and I'm glad I switched to this.

Q: Is there a way to rule out some of the things I like so there can be focus on only one thing?
A: The way to rule out some things, school wise, is to talk with professors. They will be able to tell you the pros and cons of the major you want to pursue. The most important thing is to get to know it!

Q: Is there a way to know which passion/interest to follow?
A: The feasibility and the validity of it.

Q: Should other peoples opinions be taken into consideration?
A: Yes. Talk with everyone. That includes family, friends, and teachers. They will be able to give you a new perspective about the career. If you don't have an idea what you want to pursue, it is very important to talk to others about it.

Tip he gave me:
Since you have a passion for music and language, you can still do this even though you are going into math and secondary ed. If you love doing these things it doesn't mean you have to stop the other things. Continuing with your math degree, you can get a job in a school, receive your tenure after 5 years and slowly get involved in these areas. If you still want to do music, you can ask the music teacher if you could get involved with working with productions or choirs. As for the languages, you can start a club that focus on Spanish or the other language you want to pursue, Chinese. If this doesn't work with the school, you can continue with learning piano and guitar. From there you can open your own music shop and give lessons. This would help by giving you extra money on the side while doing the things you want to pursue.

From this interview I learned many new ways to view on how to figure out what you want. I don't have to give up learning new instruments, singing, and learning new language's in trying to pursue a career as a teacher. I can focus on the major I choose because that would be my main job. However, I can continue to grow in other areas so that new opportunities can open up. Because after all, we are selling ourselves to the outside world once we graduate from Lewis.