I'm Majoring in Awesome. You?

Remember when your mom told you your eyeballs would freeze if you played video games for too long? Well, she was only looking out for your best interests, but now you can tell her that all those hours spent fighting virtual villains just might translate into a great career in the video game industry.

When you're starting college, one of the most important decisions you will make is what you're going to major in. The trick is to find something you'll be passionate about (and it helps if that passion will actually pay the bills one day.) A growing number of students are finding that combination with newly minted game design degrees. Colleges like the University of Southern California and Carnegie Mellon are sending graduates to work for industry giants like Electronic Arts Inc. and Digital Domain. The average starting salary for the industry is $73,600.

We sooo picked the wrong major.

If video gaming isn't your bag, what other interests really capture your attention? Do you think you'll be able to turn a hobby into a career by finding a coinciding college major? [LA Times]