How to choose your true passion?

I suggest taking a year off and doing something radical and out of your daily comfort zone... What that is for you I cannot say... Kibbutz in Israel, biking to Arctic Circle, hitch hiking through middle east, be a migrant farm worker in south of Europe, live in windmill. (yeah that's not a random list I had done all that before I turned 20) All that will be a hell of a lot cheaper than going to a university, especially without a clear goal. And is far more likely to give you some perspective on what you really want.

Some books that I read that I recall giving me a backdoor reality punch were:
"Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance"
And Carlos Castaneda's "teachings of Don Juan"

 

Yeah, you might do the Appalachian trail or some such thing, join the peace Corp you can figure out what. Point is you have to go live a different life and have an adventure while your at it. Makes it easier to get perspective on what you really want. (Btw don't get distracted by the title it has nothing to do with Zen and little about motorcycles ) Good luck brother

 

I have your some problem. I know how to do everything but am a master of non. I think you should journal. journal for a month and see whats the trend in everything that you like. For me it was attention, sadly lol but its true, Wanting to join the football team to getting all the girls i do it for attention and i only found out when i journaled

 

Read "so good they can't ignore you" by Cal Newport

 

Your undergraduate education will be a stepping stone either to a career or more likely to a graduate level education. When you enter undergraduate, select a major where you can score very well and show strong interest and ability through direct metrics. What that will do is keep 'all' of your doors open when you decide to progress later in life. Undergraduate is only four years out of a much longer life. Keep your long-term goals in perspective and by achieving excellence in whichever area you choose, options are still waiting for you when you have enough life experience to know more firmly what you wish to do. That is how you approach academia conservatively. There are many questions like you pose that undergraduates struggle with. Many times I have wished that I could simply tell them that you can sidestep the problem entirely by using the right strategy and much of the worry that happens can be traversed with relative ease.

There are at least two books that I would recommend. From the art side of things, I particularly enjoyed Twyla Tharp's The Creative Habit: Learn it and use it for Life. Additionally, Five Elements of Effective Thinking is a very useful book that would recommend to any undergraduate as a resource for understanding how to excel and master academic material (it effectively addresses learning and metacognition in general). Cal Newport's book has already been suggested by @Roger95. It is an idea you need to be exposed to even if it seems like you don't like it or it is counter intuitive.

 

I have a different opinion about these things than many people, especially in the States. I don't believe in a "true passion" as it's usually defined, that is, a specific area of interest that is your destiny to pursue. I think this mentality usually leads to lots of people pursuing pointless studies that are objectively more interesting/easier to relate to.

Finding your true passion is not about finding some field of study that you are destined for. That's too limiting. Finding your true passion is about cultivating a passion for life, for production, for making a difference, for giving back to society.

Now, with that in mind, think to yourself, "What's the most effective way that I can make a difference to society?" This could be something that you have a lot of skills in, or have a lot of interest in and motivation towards, whatever. Then pick that and keep your end goal in mind, and that is what career passion is.

The best way to develop this passion is through discipline: you need to put a lot of independent work into your chosen field, so that you get smart/good in this, and eventually you will start to develop momentum which gives you drive. You'll start to say "Whoa I'm really a badass at this" and then you'll start to love it. Start small, a little practice every day, and you will go a long way (studying it at university will help/cause this, of course).

And I don't really support the idea of taking some time out to "find yourself". I don't think you will find yourself if you have no direction. Start working towards a goal, then you will start getting more and more ideas, then you will truly find yourself. Of course, as you mentioned, taking some time out in the wilderness for contemplation and clearing your mind, that could help.

That's my opinion from my limited experience anyway.