Not so fast, grandpa

I used to be a finance major. Consequently, I also used to come home from school every afternoon and fix myself a nice tall class of Clorox bleach. But then I wised up, and switched my major to something I would enjoy much more. For three years, I tried to convince myself I wanted to be in finance. I thought I had to because there would be more opportunities awaiting me in that particular field. I was sacrificing happiness for perceived security. \nOne of the textbooks for a required finance course measures 11 inches thick and consists of mostly numbers and some hieroglyphics. One of my marketing books this semester came with crayons (not kidding). As you can see, the decision for me was a no-brainer. \nI'm assuming all but seven students of the entire freshman class are business majors. Do you all really want to be? Or is grandpa threatening you with his metal spatula again? You have to live your dreams, not the dreams of someone else. Are you only a chemistry major for easy access to ether? This may have been reduced to a cliche, but it's the truth. You have to truly enjoy what you do. If not, you will fail (I got a zero percent on my first finance test even though I was almost positive I answered number one correctly). \nBy choosing a subject matter that inspires you, you will be a better person in the end. Take me for example. I've completely cut laundry products out of my diet, and I haven't been this at peace with the world since I found out Teletubbies weren't real. \n"But Joe, I'm a senior, and I'm boxed into my major." \nOkay, don't panic. Just don't squander the next 10 years being a carpenter if you'd rather be a stripper. Start slowly making the transition. No matter what aspect of your life you're looking at, don't ever feel like it's too late to try something new. Don't waste a moment. It could all be over tomorrow -- you could die from an overdose of reality television shows any day now. \nBut you have to understand there isn't a major in existence that doesn't have its drawbacks. There are aspects about being a business major I wish I could eliminate. For example, I try to drown myself in the sink every time I'm in the business school bathroom, and I hear people still making Enron jokes (luckily, my head requires a size seven and 5/8 baseball cap and would never fit down the drain). And why are all the students who are dressed in suits running? Do the recruiters send these people on scavenger hunts when interviewing?\n"Ok, the first person to bring me a Rice Krispie treat, a naked picture of Elton John and an Etch A Sketch, gets the job."\nI can live with these things. \nAnd perhaps my academic decisions will result in living in someone's basement or maybe I'll only land a job writing for the Greenfield Gazette (the critically acclaimed school newspaper for Greenfield Elementary School, in Fairfield, Mont.), but at least I won't go insane.