With a new semester almost upon us, it may be time for you to choose specific classes that can help you get where you want to go. Choosing a major is one of the hardest parts of applying to university. Whatever you decide to study, try some courses that seem interesting to you whether they’re in your major or not. If you’re drawn towards philosophy and you don’t know why, try out a class anyway. See what it is and whether you see a place for yourself in it.

Remember – university is basically the start of your career, even though it can be difficult to decide so early in life what you want to do. That’s why it’s designed to let you experiment with electives. It could be that you’ve always wanted to take a sculpture class, or it could be that, while registering for your classes, film history to 1940 somehow just jumps out at you. Try it. Find out why. You might find a new passion!

Plenty of people end up switching their majors part of the way through university. Someone might start in biology only to realize, after taking a photography class, that they have a great passion for cameras.

Lots of people also like to try out a minor. Just because you’re a biology major, it doesn’t mean you have to take all science courses. You can have a minor in theatre if that’s what interests you. Who knows – maybe some day your interests will intersect in a spectacular theatrical production explaining the process of digestion!

The work involved in doing well at university is more than a full-time job. When it comes time to read 50 pages from the textbook every week or write that final essay, it will be painful to do if you’re not interested in the material. You’ll learn plenty of fascinating stuff in pretty much any class, but if the subject interests you, you can have a lot of fun while you’re at it.

University is also the time when most people start taking charge of their own lives. Many people move out for the first time and start paying rent or working at part-time jobs. In the end, you’re the only one responsible for whether you succeed or fail. Keep in mind that taking responsibility for yourself means more than meeting deadlines and paying rent. You have to start putting your life in motion, which means learning about what interests you, what you’re good at and where you can go with it.

A career isn’t the only thing that defines you. The famous author Vladimir Nabokov studied butterflies and made up chess problems in his spare time. A successful salesman may be part of an amateur radio club or a hockey team. It’s good to know what you want out of life and to have a career plan, but don’t forget about all those things that make you who you are.

In the end, following your interests is the practical thing to do. Even for a doctor, there are so many specializations that you are able to go in any direction you want. What area you choose to focus on is going to be the thing that helps you to stand out and helps to define your life. In the meantime, it will make your education a lot more fun.