How I did it: I felt a lot of pressure from my parents (who were paying the tuition) to finish school in a timely manner, so I just picked a major that seemed like it would be done as quickly as possible. I walked across the stage in my robe at graduation, but I never finished my senior project. I got a job and worked for three years, torturing myself about that project. Then when I discovered that my employer had tuition reimbursement for all employees to get bachelor's degrees, I changed my major and went back to school immediately. Changing my major meant a few more credits, which took a couple of years to finish since I was only taking one night class per semester, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

Lessons & tips: Make sure you've chosen a course of study that feels good to you and worth all the work. I didn't WANT to work on or finish my first major, but when I changed my major to something I loved, school was a joy. And even though it took me a few more years to finish, I did it gladly.

Resources: Self-knowledge, passion for the major I chose, tuition reimbursement from my employer

Sep 16, 2008, 05:32AM PDT | 1 comment | 20 cheers