Being at Amherst has been an amazing opportunity to find a career path I truly love. College is one of the few times in life when you can explore freely, ask big questions, and try different versions of yourself. If you don’t give yourself that space for self-discovery now, it’ll have to happen later when the stakes are much higher and the rebuilding is more difficult.
Here are three things I’ve learned about career development along the way:
1. Don’t ignore your hobbies!
In high school, I was taught to see my hobbies, like playing piano or writing/journaling as “extras” or distractions from “real work.” Biochemistry, I thought, was my “thing.”
However, in college, I kept returning to music, for example, repeatedly. I realized that the reason I loved it so much was that I loved understanding the stories behind the music, the lives of the composers, and the way their emotions resonated with mine when I played. Music is my excuse to understand the human experience and condition in composers’ lives, but also in my fellow performers’ and listeners’ lives.
That curiosity eventually led me to my senior thesis in ethnomusicology, where I’m studying how music, listening, and perception shape the human experience of grief. Somewhere along the way, I realized that my passion for music and anthropology drives my interest in health (I’m pre-med) more than chemistry or science research ever did.
Your passions are where your brain goes when it’s at its lowest energy state. Understanding why that’s the case can tell you a lot about the kind of work and life you want to build.
2. Just because something is hard doesn’t mean it’s not for you.
Organic chemistry and physics were brutal. There were semesters when I constantly questioned why I was still pushing through when I didn’t feel like a “natural.” I’ve learned that difficulty is sometimes a sign you’re growing into the person you need to be.
If you like the version of yourself that shows up when things are hard — for me, in these classes, it’s how I’m curious, patient, and analytical — then that’s worth holding onto. I’ve come to appreciate how science challenges me to think rigorously and precisely, even when it’s uncomfortable. Those habits are essential to the kind of future doctor I hope to become.
3. Connect with your peers!
College is a once-in-a-lifetime environment where everyone around you is searching, learning, and trying to make sense of their lives. The people you meet here are your future colleagues, collaborators, and lifelong friends.
Some of my closest friendships began through conversations about what drives us– our curiosities, doubts, and goals. These exchanges helped me understand myself immensely, and when we started these conversations, they seemed to never end. When you find the right group of people to be vulnerable with, it’s incredibly enriching, and I think it defined my college experience more than some of my classes ever did.
Career development is a collective team effort between you and the people you surround yourself with. Become friends with people who inspire you to think harder, question your surroundings, and are passionate about, well, being passionate. Career development in college is about learning who you are, what sustains you, and how you want to grow. Everything else follows from there.
