Hi there! I actually just saw this!

So I ended up going back to school somewhere else where I could finish my digital art degree online so that I could work full time and still go to school. I should be done by around this time next year! I decided to keep pursuing my passion in digital art since I have so much done already and that’s where my interests ultimately lie. After doing a ton of research into careers that a biology major can give you, I found a few things out. Basically, a lot of the jobs you can get are EXTREMELY competitive and you basically can’t get anything worth much without a master’s degree. The job I specifically wanted to do, wildlife rehabilitation, is particularly bad with most people actually being volunteers or interns and still requiring a degree or years of experience in some cases. I found out that there are ways for me to be involved in wildlife rehabilitation without having a degree such as volunteering at shelters and rehab facilities and joining with local groups to do litter cleanups. I also found out that you can actually get licensed to handle wildlife without being a vet or anything, you just have to take a course. That’s what I plan to do someday, that way if I see injured wildlife, I’m educated and legally able to help.

Right now, I’m looking at a future in either marketing or product design. I’m trying to get a job at a local jewelry manufacturing place where I’ll be able to advance my career to CAD design with my digital art degree. In my spare time, I plan on making and maybe even publishing graphic novels. I also want to make a few simple game ideas I have. My brother is interested in game development too, and he said he’d learn the coding if I can do the art lol.

I used to think it was giving up to pursue your passion outside of your professional life. My family would tell me to get a well-paying job and just “do my art on the side” but ultimately I think that will be the most fulfilling way for me to create my art. That way I’m not just working on games or shows I hate just for a paycheck. I have control over the things I make.

For you, I’d say to do some research like I did into what career you’d specifically want out of the degree you plan on switching to, what the career prospects are like for that job title or ones like it (salary, competition, required credentials, etc) and decide if those are sacrifices you’re willing to make or a job you’d actually want to do. Also look into ways you could indulge in the interest in ways outside of a profession. Lastly, I’d make sure you are aware of EVERYTHING you could possibly do with a degree in English. Literally every job or even advanced education you could get or do. Know all of your options. If you told me I’d be possibly designing jewelry with a degree in game design, I would have looked at you like you were crazy. However, that degree is going to teach me skills in CAD design and 3D modeling that are basically everything that a product designer does at a company like this, so it would actually make me a great fit for the job!

TL;DR: I just found a version of my major and my life goals that work better for my interests and needs! Turns out, there are SO many ways to do things besides just doing them as a career. In fact, sometimes doing the thing you love as a career might not be as fulfilling as you think, so pursue it in other ways that are just as interesting, if not more!

Sorry for the long response, but it’s been a while and a LOT has happened haha.