I am a junior in high school trying to decide what to major in in college and ultimately, what to do with my life. The problem is, the two halves of my brain are pulling me in two completely opposite directions. My left brain loves the beauty and elegance of physics, and for that reason I’d like to be a physicist. My right brain, however, loves the thrill of photojournalism, which I do for my school paper and am fairly good at. I dream simultaneously of hopping a plane to the Congo for National Geographic, and of studying the wonders of the universe. Whenever I’m taking pictures, I think, “What was I thinking? No way could I give this up.” But when I’m in physics class, I think the same thing. What should I do?Jane Lane

You still have so much time before you have to choose a major, much less decide What To Do With Your Life – why not just continue to do both for a while? Keep taking pictures, and keep studying physics, for as long as you feasibly can. As you proceed with both pursuits and reach higher skill levels, one or the other will probably begin to stand out as the more appealing career path for you, and the decision will wind up making itself. Or a third, entirely different option might reveal itself to you along the way.

You don’t have to choose between physics and photography yet. So, don’t.

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