As I approach my final months of high school, like most, I’m starting to figure out what I want to do with my future. Some people want to become doctors. Others want to become teachers or artists. But one question I need to ask myself when determining my major is, am I going to follow my heart or head?

What I mean by that is whether you should enter a field because you are good at it or because you’ve always dreamed that you would. For some, following their head is better or more straightforward because they know they can thrive in it and make good money. 

“[Computer science] is a useful degree because it’s very easy to get a job right now,” senior Elliot Ahlstrom said.

Ahlstrom hopes to attend UC Santa Cruz in the fall and believes that computer science is best for his future because of the salary that comes with that kind of job. While computer science is not where his heart lies, he can still enjoy his career. 

While I think that following your head can be a noble and responsible thing to do, I lean more towards following my heart. I don’t know if I could sit in an office all day doing a job that I don’t genuinely love.

Some people would agree that entering into a field they have always wanted to be in is the way to go.

“Being a vet for pets like dogs and cats would be amazing,” senior Isabella Paganini said. So she prepares to enter an education focusing on that. “Being able to work with all kinds of animals would be a dream come true.”

Paganini has wanted to be a vet since she was a little girl and hopes to attend UC Davis. She plans to major in animal sciences and become a veterinarian right after graduating from college. 

For some, getting a job that they are skilled at rather than passionate about is the only way that they will be able to support themselves. With possible student loans and the future to think about, I know that my future career as a teacher will not be easy, seeing the contentious topic of a teacher’s salary.

For others, their hearts lie in a career that can help them pay off student loans, buy a house in California no less, and have some wiggle room for, perhaps, traveling if they desire. 

No matter which way you decide to go, all that matters is what’s best for you and your future.