Are You Still Trying to Decide on a College Major?

Understandably when you start college for the first time you may not know what you want to major in. Not to worry…for this is very common for incoming freshmen. Actually, it’s possible that you may not decide on a major until your sophomore or even your junior year in college. Conversely, you may decide on a major early on then change your mind later and that’s okay too. However, keep in mind that the reason for going to college in the first place is to prepare for a solid career and with hopes of landing that dream job upon completion of your education. So whatever you decide make sure that this is something you have a passion for. Listed below are tips that will come in handy when in doubt about your college major.

What are you most passionate about?
Think about what it is that you really like to do. When you find out what it is you like to do then you can move forward in deciding on a major. For example, do you like working with children? Then maybe you should major in education. Or, if you like helping the sick…perhaps you might want to major in the medical field and so on. Bear in mind that it will be to your advantage to get your degree in something you have a passion for in that you will find it less difficult to obtain and more rewarding than something you don’t have a zeal for.

Which subjects do you earn your best grades in?
Another way to decide on a major is to observe which subjects you usually earn your best grades in. You might want to look into pursing your degree in this area. On the contrary, take a good look at the subjects you have the difficult time in…you get the idea.

What would you like to be doing ten years from now?
What do you envision yourself doing ten years from now? If you have some ideas as to where and what and you would like to be doing then you should takes steps towards achieving your dream. Talk with your academic counselors to make sure you take the right courses to obtain the degree in the field of your interest.

Do a thorough research on that field
You should thoroughly research your field of interest beforehand to determine whether or not you really want to pursue a degree in this field. Sometimes you might think you want to major in a particular field but after you learn what it entails you might change your mind and vice versa. You can also obtain information about your major by reading info packets and brochures that should be available in the career services department or specific academic departments at your school.

Volunteer in that field
A good way to help you decided whether or not you might want to major in a particular career is to volunteer in that field. This way you can get a feel for this work by observing the daily operations and taking notes and asking questions on things you need more clarity on. Call the desired company, organization, facility, etc. and inquire about possibly volunteering for them.

Talk with your academic advisors
You should make an appointment to speak with your academic advisors when you need help in deciding on a major. They will give you advice as to what you might want to major in and the class requirements based upon your desired goals.

Don’t allow someone to force you into making a decision
One thing you don’t want is to allow someone to force you into majoring in something that they feel you would be good at and really want you to pursue it. If your parents or other relative always wanted a doctor in the family they might try to convince you that this is your calling. But the question is…is this what you really want to do? Sometimes…trying to compete with others will also misdirect you into deciding on a major. Just because your close colleague is majoring in science doesn’t mean that you should too. Again, what are you most passionate about? This is a decision you will have to make and live with in the future.
Much Success!