Skip to main content
4 answers
4
Updated 1638 views

If you don't know what exactly it is you want to pursue a career in, how exactly do you pick a major for college/university?

I'm interested in quite a few different career paths and all of the career paths can't be tied together in just one major and I'm not too sure as to which career path that I intend on pursuing or if I will pursue more than one. I'm still trying to figure things out but scholarships are mostly directed to specific career paths or majors and 'Undecided' isn't always an option and I've heard that going into college/university as undecided can actually set you back and result in graduating at a later date. #college-major #college-student #undecided #college-graduate

+25 Karma if successful
From: You
To: Friend
Subject: Career question for you

4

4 answers


1
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Stuart’s Answer

Best of the Village

There a several really great questions in there. I'm going to take them out of order. I hope that's okay.


Going into college undecided isn't uncommon at all. That said, I'd encourage you to do some planning relatively early on. There are general education requirements that would count toward essentially any major. However, depending on how you do on your placement tests for math and English, whether you're attending college full time or part time, etc., you've reliably got a semester or two, tops, in which you can take classes that would literally apply to ANY major.


The big sticking point, in my experience, is math. General education requirements for math differ quite a bit. Think of them as tiers or layers. If you're interested in a liberal arts-style major (e.g., English, history, philosophy, etc.), then that's one layer of math. If you're thinking of something like business, IT, or psychology, that's another. And if you're thinking about engineering, computer science, or biology, for instance, that's another still. Now, one solution is to decide before you get to math and settle on a track.


The other solution (which I'd encourage you to do, if you feel you're up for it) is to hedge your bets and take the highest math track. If you take the math track for engineering, then you're over-qualified on the math track for liberal arts, for example. It's not a perfect solution. You may still wind up having to backtrack if you change majors and pick up a statistics course, for example, even though you've already tackled calculus with analytic geometry. Math is quite major dependent.


So that brings us back to the research idea. Start by thinking about the careers you're interested in so far. Do they have any common threads? Are they mostly social? Do they all involve writing? Are they math dependent? One way to think about majors is as a carrying case for a set of skills. You're not locked into doing things that are literally related to your major. My major, for instance, was English Language and Literature. I didn't get a job analyzing literature after college, but I did get a job that required strong writing and editing skills, a solid knowledge of grammar, critical thinking, etc. You may find, if you think about it, that there are majors that cover the skill sets common to the careers that interest you.


Also, locate and visit the Career Center at your school. They'll offer career assessments, help you map out some of the careers you're already interested in, and perhaps even connect you with people already doing those jobs, so you can see first hand what it's like and how to get there.


Most of all, don't worry. You're not locked into anything. Make sense?

Thank you comment icon Yeah. Thanks for responding. I'll give the career assessments a try and hopefully they work. I heard that a few schools don't require you to pick your major until sophomore year is that true? Allya
1
1
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Nda-jiya’s Answer

The whole idea of picking a major to follow a career is a static mindset. Every 5 years there are a plethora of new careers that are created. These careers may better suite you than what was available while you were in college.


For example; Customer Experience Design is a completely new career, the affordable care act has brought a lot of compliance geared careers, etc. The trick isn't choosing a major to follow a career path, it's choosing a major to reinforce or complement your skills. Think of three different careers, look at what skills and expertise are needed to excel in them, then choose a major that is the most pivot-able between those careers.


If all else fails, there's always grad school.


Good Luck!

Thank you comment icon Thanks! I'll make sure to keep that in mind. Are the mass majority of these new careers long-term and stay around for a good amount of years or do some careers lose significance and put people out of jobs? Allya
1
1
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Seth’s Answer

Allya,


The good news is most colleges and universities have core requirements that every student has to take in order to fulfill graduation requirements; this allows you some time to explore different majors while still staying on track for graduation. Many of these core requirements are board, so you may be able to take an intro class for some of the majors you are interested, to see if that path would be a good fit for you. You will want to choose something you are passionate about, otherwise later down the line, you may not be happy with your choice.

Thank you comment icon Thanks for the information, but what do you do if you're interested in a program like architecture or pre-made where schools require you to aware them of your interest in the program during your application, but you're not sure if it's meant for you or not? Allya
Thank you comment icon Most schools have academic advisors that can help you navigate that process. They may also be able to provide you with more information about what choosing a specific major would look like. I would reach out to see what they can tell you, so you can make an informed decision! Seth Kazmar
Thank you comment icon Thanks! Do you have any advice on what to do if you're interested in majors that don't really tie together very well? Allya
Thank you comment icon Sorry for the delay, I didn't get a notice! Sometimes you can choose a minor or even a double major. I would discuss this with your advisor. Seth Kazmar
1
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Estelle’s Answer

Many students are unsure about their major when they go to college. Some colleges allow you to major in undergraduate studies until you are ready to pick a major. Hopefully when you take your core curriculum at your university you'll find a passion. I knew a lot of people who changed their major once they were in college
0