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How do I know the major I picked is right for me, and what if it isn't? Is it costly/ hard to switch majors.

#major #majors #double-major #college-majors #choosing-a-major

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Ria’s Answer

Hey Amy! This is a great question and one that current college students ask themselves all the time. Ultimately, your major should be something you are passionate about and one that can teach you transferable skills. By "transferable" I mean skills that you could use in different occupations whether that be research, public speaking/presenting, analyzing data, etc. Typically, universities do not make it hard to switch majors but you have to make sure that you can indeed graduate on time. This means that if you switch to a completely different major, that you can finish all the required courses in time. To answer your question more directly, it is not hard but can be costly if you don't plan ahead!
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Simeon’s Answer

To know if a career is right for you, I'd look at videos on YouTube of people describing their favorite and least favorite parts of the job. To know if you like a major, you could also see about getting into an upper level class sooner rather than later and get a feel for if the subject content feels like a good fit for you. It's not costly to switch your major, especially if it is a related major to the previous one and can use the same classes you've already taken. The sooner you are able to get your major nailed down, the better, so don't take too long to make up your mind. I'd recommend reaching to your college counselor and wargaming out the different majors you're considering to make sure you don't accidentally miss a class that is offered every other year. That might accidentally push back your graduation date. It's not wise to accumulate more debt for a student debt while also postponing your entry into the workforce to pay off that debt.
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Catherine’s Answer

Speaking from experience, picking a major is not as important as having the experience to immerse yourself in being a learner. The first two years will be focused on liberal arts and electives that will help guide you in finding yourself and identifying what majors will be your focus. Picking a major sets the tone as to what type of classes meet the criteria to graduate. You may pick business but find that the math courses inspire you to be an accountant or you want to be a lawyer and find that marketing is your major because you want to go into corporate law. What young people forget is that you may want to be a doctor or a lawyer but it won't be dictated by your bachelor's degree. You will have to apply to law or pre-med after the fact. What's important is that you have a college degree regardless of what the major is. Many adults graduate in one subject and end up doing something completely different as a profession. It's having the experience to learn, apply what you learned, and using them as platforms to broaden your perspectives. Pick a major and you can change if needed. Your life is a canvas of experiences as the real degree is life and being able to be open to being a learner versus a know it all. If you have a very specific career in mind, it would be best to get an internship or a job in that field to get the real-life experience that will guide you. When you speak with your academic advisors, share your concerns and identify plan bs and plan c.

Catherine
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Yasemin’s Answer

Hi Amy, I agree with the previous answer! It isn't hard to switch majors as long as you do it on time, so when you begin junior year you cannot switch your major anymore. That being said you have about two years in college to really decide if you like the major you chose; many students change their major because in college you have more opportunity to explore and you take general education classes as well so they could expose you to different career choices you didn't know about! I don't think it is costly as long as you do it before junior year, after that it may be difficult because credit wise it may be hard to finish everything in time. Some majors require more credits than others so watch out for that! Knowing which major is right for you is about self-analysis, what you like and what you are passionate about. Also make sure to know the career choices down the road too and see if your major aligns with them. I was a psychology major with a chem minor, because I love psychology and the human brain fascinates me as I feel there are so many things undiscovered yet. I plan to become a physician and feel that being a psychology major and what I have learned will also help me keep an open perspective when treating my future patients. Do some research and take your time so you know what is best for you! Do what you love and love what you do!
Best of luck!
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