A lot of college students get stuck on the question of choosing a major, which ends up causing a lot of stress and anxiety. But, it doesn’t have to be this way, and this post will equip you with the right questions to ask before making a decision that will make choosing a major much simpler. A good choice of courses early on can make the decision easier as well. So, let’s dive in and find out how to choose a major in college!
Table of Contents
This guide on choosing a major in college will tell you:
- What a major is, and how choosing the right major can help build your career
- How to choose a major that is perfect fit for you
- How to determine what is a good major depending on your goals
Questions to ask yourself when choosing a major for college
College or university is a starting point of adulthood, and it is the place where you will be expected to make your first independent decisions as an adult. This includes choosing a major, which is a pathway that will determine your future career opportunities and skills. Important to note, choice of major should align, as much as possible, with your individual preferences and interests. There’s little point choosing math as your major if you are not interested, is there?
What interests you?
When someone says talk about the first thing that comes to mind, what is your default option? Are you excited about a particular field or even something as mundane as an NBA game or a nice restaurant? Finding out what your true interests are is the first step for choosing a major in college. Don’t believe me? Well, think about this for a second – imagine your main interest in life is sports but you are not particularly talented. You could capitalize on this interest by choosing a sports management major, build a network of acquaintances in college and have a career in sport administration. However, not every passion of yours can be translated into a career. If you love animals but can’t bear to see them hurt in any way, I’d write off a career in veterinary science.
What do you know?
A major in college can be thought of as an extension of the traits you already have. If you’re very good in math, the choice of a major is quite obvious. If you are highly organized and want to put everything into neatly packaged boxed a business administration major may be a good choice. Similarly, if you are very open, love to hang out, and have no problems talking with people you don’t know a sales or marketing may be your shtick. The choices are endless, but you need to pinpoint your strengths.
What do you want?
No ask yourself where I want to be in 5-10 years from now? Where do I live? Am I working alone, in a team, or supervising a department? How much am I earning? The answers to these questions can tell you a lot about your preferences. The key is to imagine in broad strokes what your ideal future would look like, and then work backwards to find majors that fit the bill. This will narrow the list and point you to how to choose a major in college.
What learning materials can tell you?
Obviously reading a complex piece on clinical psychology won’t get you thrilled. But, if there is an inkling of a prospective psychologist in you, the reading will be interesting and compelling. Reading a lot of different things can help you find areas that you are interested in, which can be a good starting point for finding the perfect major in college.
Asking family and friends
Yeah, yeah, we get that choosing a major in college is an important task that you should be doing on your own. But, it never hurts to ask people you trust for college advice. Your parents or guardians will know you fairly well and may offer sage advice or point to an area you hadn’t previously considered. This doesn’t mean you have to take their advice about a college major choice as gold, but you should definitely ask. Another address to visit is a guidance counselor. They are trained to assess and advise students for this exact purpose. Finally, if you have a teacher you admire or think is excellent at their job, you could set up a meeting and ask for advice.
Conclusion
Whichever road you take, be honest. Tell them what you think, any doubts you have. Perhaps you’ve pinned the choice to two or three majors and cannot make the final call. Advice can help you cross that bridge and learn how to choose a major in college
What students usually ask about choosing a major (also applies for career opportunities later down the road):
- No, you do not have to decide on a major. You can be undecided. However, this is not a universal rule, as some schools will want you to make a decision right off the bat.
- An undecided major is simply a deferred decision, meaning you will decide on a major at some point in the future. However, this can increase your workload in year one.
- If you are undecided, most schools will have you take general education classes.
