In the United States during spring semester at many colleges, sophomores are frantically deciding on what seems like possibly the most important decision of their life - a major. A handful of individuals entered college with a major and career in mind, has stuck to it, and will be graduating on time with their prospective career in hand. Yet, this scenario is the exception to the rule. More commonly students enter college either as an undeclared student (one who has not decided on a major), or enters with one major in mind and leaves with another.
The web of confusion within a school’s requirements can make the task of choosing a major more difficult. It has been noted, "Course patterns for majors can appear extremely complex, and even experienced academic advisors have difficulty guiding students through them" (Capaldi, Lombardi & Yellen, 2006). If you find yourself getting ready to enter college or are scrambling to pick a major out of your school's catalog, below are some tips for deciding on a major that is a right fit for you.
Do What You Love
I am a strong proponent for doing what one loves to do. This is the first place to begin in the search for your major. People run into two common problems. These problems are either they love to do several things and cannot decide, or they simply do not know what they love to do. As Cindy Fisher (1998) describes in her account of picking a college major, she loved both journalism and music and believed she had to choose one over the other. Instead, she found that she could major in journalism for her full-time career and minor in music for her part-time music career (Fisher, 1998).
If you have multiple interests, perhaps the following options may be best for you: choosing a school that will allow you to have a double major, completing a degree with a major and minor, doing an interdisciplinary degree, or choosing a degree program that is broad such as social science (where you complete several classes in the different disciplines). Ultimately, when choosing a major you should pick one that offers "intellectual stimulation, long-term professional challenge, and a broad range of career options" (Bruce, 1991).
Explore Your Options
For those of you who have not figured out what you love to do, then this is a great opportunity for you to do some self-exploration. Whether you are already in college or not there yet, take some time to reflect on the classes you have already taken and ask yourself which classes stood out the most to you and why? Which topics interested you? What did you find you were good at? Can you see yourself having a lifelong interest in a specific field?
Furthermore, you can spend time familiarizing yourself with certain professions. Seek out professionals in different careers and interview them. Ask them what it is like to do their job and what you can expect if you decide to take on that career. Find places that will allow you to intern or job-shadow. Finally, do not be shy to ask career counselors some facts about different career choices. These individuals can help you with career trends, expected earnings, degree requirements, and guide you to valuable resources.
If you are serious about choosing a major that will fit you personally, then taking this time to do self-reflection, writing about your experiences, and talking with others about what you should do will benefit you both professionally and personally.
Money or Happiness?
In Malgwi, Howe and Burnaby's (2005) study on the influences affecting those choosing business majors, they found that the top influences were:
- interest in the subject
- potential for career advancement
- potential job opportunities
- aptitude for the subject
- level of pay
- college's reputation for the subject
If you are still not sure which major would best suit you, then researching these areas of influences can help.
Though I believe that choosing a major solely based on future earnings is often in conflict with doing what one loves to do, knowing potential earnings is still one of the most common questions about a future career path. Seeking out personal and career satisfaction is much more advantageous for individuals than simply making as much money as they can just to find out later they hate what they are doing.
Being realistic about your potential career is needed when deciding upon a major. Though a lot of emphasis is placed on this decision, it is imperative that you take time to explore your options. Even for those who have known what they wanted to be since they were young, seeking out alternatives may prove to be a well-worth adventure.
Sources
- Bruce, C.E. (1991). Career choices for math majors. In Black Collegian, 21(3), 94.
- Capaldi, E.D., Lombardi, J.V., & Yellen, V. (2006). Improving graduation rates. In Change, 38(4), 44-50.
- Fisher, C. (1998). Picking a major or picking a life? In Christian Science Monitor, 90(145).
- Malgwi, C.A., Howe, M.A., & Burnaby, P.A. (2005). Influences on Students' choice of a college major. In Journal of Education for Business, 80(5), 275-282.
Annette Smith - Annette Smith currently lives in Liverpool, England with her husband where they hail from Portland, Oregon. She received her bachelor's ...
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