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How do you know if a major is right for you? Do I pick priorities over desires?
I want to major in something that may not be the best when speaking in terms of my personal priorities.
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Annie’s Answer
Hi Sanjana,
Picking a major can lead to a rewarding learning journey. It is a uniquely personal choice for every student. I would advise when considering majors, that you think about your interests, skills, and academic strengths. Some questions you could ask yourself are, "I really like X subject. Why am I drawn to it?"; "What would a rewarding career in future look like to me, and do I want my major to be closely related to it or to use major coursework to prepare for possible graduate school?" These are just a few questions which can frame and narrow down your major choices to a select few which feel true to you and your goals.
Having said that, while it is common for undergraduate major coursework to be directly related to or in preparation for either your graduate school plans or future career (and could certainly help lay the groundwork for basic skills in future career, such as a biology major student deciding to pursue an eventual training/career path in a health profession), there are also many students who go on to careers or graduate school path which does not necessarily relate to what they selected as an undergraduate major. A loose example of this would be an English major who went on to become a business professional, or decided to enter graduate school to train as a lawyer or doctor -- which graduate schools do also consider as potential applicants. At the end of the day, I would recommend you reflect on your current goals, future career possibilities, and your own subject interest areas -- narrow the list of majors down and pick from there. Your major coursework should be an enjoyable learning journey you put hard work into, but which you would ultimately find the study of rewarding come graduation!
Picking a major can lead to a rewarding learning journey. It is a uniquely personal choice for every student. I would advise when considering majors, that you think about your interests, skills, and academic strengths. Some questions you could ask yourself are, "I really like X subject. Why am I drawn to it?"; "What would a rewarding career in future look like to me, and do I want my major to be closely related to it or to use major coursework to prepare for possible graduate school?" These are just a few questions which can frame and narrow down your major choices to a select few which feel true to you and your goals.
Having said that, while it is common for undergraduate major coursework to be directly related to or in preparation for either your graduate school plans or future career (and could certainly help lay the groundwork for basic skills in future career, such as a biology major student deciding to pursue an eventual training/career path in a health profession), there are also many students who go on to careers or graduate school path which does not necessarily relate to what they selected as an undergraduate major. A loose example of this would be an English major who went on to become a business professional, or decided to enter graduate school to train as a lawyer or doctor -- which graduate schools do also consider as potential applicants. At the end of the day, I would recommend you reflect on your current goals, future career possibilities, and your own subject interest areas -- narrow the list of majors down and pick from there. Your major coursework should be an enjoyable learning journey you put hard work into, but which you would ultimately find the study of rewarding come graduation!
Updated
Charlie’s Answer
You should consider several factors when choosing a college major, including the program cost, your salary expectations, and the employment rates in that field of study. Additionally, it's crucial to reflect on your personality, academic and professional objectives, as well as your passions.
Before finalizing your major, contemplate which of the following three factors are most significant and relevant to you and your goals: economic advantage, interest level, and ability. Research indicates that students perform better academically when they can focus on subjects that genuinely interest them. However, identifying these interests can sometimes be challenging.
To seek assistance in this process, you might consider taking a personality quiz. One example is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator questionnaire, which can help pinpoint subjects that align closely with your personality and interests.
Another way to explore potential areas of study and career paths is by engaging in student clubs, volunteering, working part-time on campus, pursuing a side hustle, or completing internships.
Consulting with your academic advisor is a crucial step when deciding on a major. Your advisor possesses extensive experience in guiding students and can offer valuable insights into selecting a major. They may even suggest a major that aligns with your academic and career aspirations, which you may not have previously considered.
Wishing you the best of luck in your decision-making process!
Before finalizing your major, contemplate which of the following three factors are most significant and relevant to you and your goals: economic advantage, interest level, and ability. Research indicates that students perform better academically when they can focus on subjects that genuinely interest them. However, identifying these interests can sometimes be challenging.
To seek assistance in this process, you might consider taking a personality quiz. One example is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator questionnaire, which can help pinpoint subjects that align closely with your personality and interests.
Another way to explore potential areas of study and career paths is by engaging in student clubs, volunteering, working part-time on campus, pursuing a side hustle, or completing internships.
Consulting with your academic advisor is a crucial step when deciding on a major. Your advisor possesses extensive experience in guiding students and can offer valuable insights into selecting a major. They may even suggest a major that aligns with your academic and career aspirations, which you may not have previously considered.
Wishing you the best of luck in your decision-making process!
Updated
Justin’s Answer
I think this is a question a lot of prospective college students have and I'm not sure if there is a definitive answer.
For my own situation, I had wanted to study Psychology or English initially and wound up with Computer Science, in order to be employable. It was actually a dual degree with Psychology because of free electives (https://ccny-undergraduate.catalog.cuny.edu/general-education-requirements-pathways/free-electives). I don't think it was too difficult to accomplish, personally speaking.
That turned out the best for me, even from a professional perspective. For example, the Psychology bit helps in managing software teams. To this day I do think it's useful to try to know as much as possible, though to a reasonable extent, as college courses are quite difficult. (I still wish I had that English degree.) And it helps to know there are various degrees, which involve less courses and can sometimes be accomplished on the way to your major.
Consider the minor degree https://tophat.com/glossary/m/minor-degree/
Consider the dual degree https://blog.prepscholar.com/dual-degree-programs
Consider the double degree https://post.edu/blog/dual-degree-vs-double-major
For my own situation, I had wanted to study Psychology or English initially and wound up with Computer Science, in order to be employable. It was actually a dual degree with Psychology because of free electives (https://ccny-undergraduate.catalog.cuny.edu/general-education-requirements-pathways/free-electives). I don't think it was too difficult to accomplish, personally speaking.
That turned out the best for me, even from a professional perspective. For example, the Psychology bit helps in managing software teams. To this day I do think it's useful to try to know as much as possible, though to a reasonable extent, as college courses are quite difficult. (I still wish I had that English degree.) And it helps to know there are various degrees, which involve less courses and can sometimes be accomplished on the way to your major.
Justin recommends the following next steps:
Updated
wren’s Answer
Hey Sanjana! To figure out if a major suits you, look for a balance between what you enjoy and what's important to you. Think about what you love, explore the major's courses, look into job opportunities, and see how it matches your goals. Talk to advisors and people working in that field for guidance. Keep in mind that you can change your major, and it's fine to adjust your path as you learn more. Aim for a choice that connects with your interests while also being practical.
Updated
T.J.’s Answer
Hello Sanjana!
My perspective is this:
You don't need to have your entire life figured out, nor should you allow your major to mark the direction your life will go.
As some people will tell you - their degrees don't necessarily match their jobs.
However, I suggest you do two things:
#1) You should go into college with a rough idea of how you would like to work.
#2) You should make a holistic decision around your future field of study, not a narrow-single reason.
𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 #𝟏
Don't let your major or work define you. Define how you want to work.
When you have 1-3 career paths in mind, it is so much easier to choose a major, because you now have a direction to work towards. --- versus choosing a major and then a career.
These career paths are not set in stone. There is no pressure to stick with it. Just pick a few jobs that interest you and research them carefully.
𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 #𝟐
Making a holistic decision means you're taking multiple factors into account before choosing something.
I encourage holistic decision making, because it encourages you to see that there's many things that matter in life.
Your physical health, emotional health, relationships/connections, family, pets, hobbies, income → they are all just as important as your career and major.
Many students make the mistake of picking a major for one reason only.
- I want to make a lot of money.
- I want to pursue what I'm passionate about.
Don't get me wrong. Money is a solid, good reason for choosing a major. Passion is a solid, good reason for choosing a major.
𝘽𝙪𝙩...
If you have only ONE reason, one motivation, for pursuing a particular path...
You're not going to find it easy to perform that work or stay in that major overtime.
Make a holistic decision for your major.
When you look at major and career options, I would consider asking yourself these questions:
➥ 𝐃𝐨 𝐈 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠?
I highly recommend looking at all of the coursework within your major from your college(s) catalogue. Every college has a list of majors and coursework. Read through all of the classes. Some classes won't be fun or interesting. Some will be very fun. The main idea is to see whether you'll enjoy learning *most* of the content in your major.
➥ 𝐃𝐨 𝐈 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈'𝐦 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭?
There aren't many high schoolers that are automatically great at medicine, research, journalism, or selling artwork. However, there are skills you likely have already! There might be skills you enjoy using already. Maybe that's writing, reading about science, being outdoors, completing math problems, building machines, or other materials. If you're good at it, then you can probably perform these skills at a job.
But let's say you believe you don't have any skills anyway... 😅
➥ 𝐃𝐨 𝐈 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧?
This is similar to the first question. Some people enter a degree and realize that "I didn't learn as much as I thought I would about X" and they feel regret about their choice.
I feel determining whether you'll learn important skills & topics is important. For this, I (again) suggest looking at your college catalogue.
Also, when you start your freshman year, talk to students within the majors that interests you to see if they're getting what they want out of their degree.
➥ 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬?
Everyone's goals is different.
I always say you 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 need to have your life figured out.
But you 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 have an rough idea of what you want your life to look like in the next two years after college.
Since you're investing a lot of time and resources into your education, your major should help - not hurt you - in terms of pursuing your plans after graduation.
➥ 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞?
You will be working hard for the next four years. Honestly every major is demanding. Some majors are considered harder (engineering, nursing, computer science).
Consider what you want to get out of college.
What do you want to spend time on?
- With clubs/organizations? | With jobs or early internships? | Or do you want more free time to have fun?
There's no right or wrong answer. Just choose your time wisely and don't overwhelm yourself.
Because you still need to take care of your body, mind, social life, and hobbies.
➥ 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞?
So remember those 1-3 career ideas from earlier? Similar to the last question, ask yourself:
What do you want to spend time on as an adult?
- With your hobbies? | With family? | With friends?
Again: choose your time wisely and don't overwhelm yourself.
═══ ═══ ═══ ═══ ═══ ═══
Wow, that was a lot 😄
I really wanted to share these tips, because I wish I knew these things before I started thinking about majors in high school.
Hopefully, these tips help you.
Sending you good luck with forming ideas for your life + for college :)
My perspective is this:
You don't need to have your entire life figured out, nor should you allow your major to mark the direction your life will go.
As some people will tell you - their degrees don't necessarily match their jobs.
However, I suggest you do two things:
#1) You should go into college with a rough idea of how you would like to work.
#2) You should make a holistic decision around your future field of study, not a narrow-single reason.
𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 #𝟏
Don't let your major or work define you. Define how you want to work.
When you have 1-3 career paths in mind, it is so much easier to choose a major, because you now have a direction to work towards. --- versus choosing a major and then a career.
These career paths are not set in stone. There is no pressure to stick with it. Just pick a few jobs that interest you and research them carefully.
𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 #𝟐
Making a holistic decision means you're taking multiple factors into account before choosing something.
I encourage holistic decision making, because it encourages you to see that there's many things that matter in life.
Your physical health, emotional health, relationships/connections, family, pets, hobbies, income → they are all just as important as your career and major.
Many students make the mistake of picking a major for one reason only.
- I want to make a lot of money.
- I want to pursue what I'm passionate about.
Don't get me wrong. Money is a solid, good reason for choosing a major. Passion is a solid, good reason for choosing a major.
𝘽𝙪𝙩...
If you have only ONE reason, one motivation, for pursuing a particular path...
You're not going to find it easy to perform that work or stay in that major overtime.
Make a holistic decision for your major.
When you look at major and career options, I would consider asking yourself these questions:
➥ 𝐃𝐨 𝐈 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠?
I highly recommend looking at all of the coursework within your major from your college(s) catalogue. Every college has a list of majors and coursework. Read through all of the classes. Some classes won't be fun or interesting. Some will be very fun. The main idea is to see whether you'll enjoy learning *most* of the content in your major.
➥ 𝐃𝐨 𝐈 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈'𝐦 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭?
There aren't many high schoolers that are automatically great at medicine, research, journalism, or selling artwork. However, there are skills you likely have already! There might be skills you enjoy using already. Maybe that's writing, reading about science, being outdoors, completing math problems, building machines, or other materials. If you're good at it, then you can probably perform these skills at a job.
But let's say you believe you don't have any skills anyway... 😅
➥ 𝐃𝐨 𝐈 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧?
This is similar to the first question. Some people enter a degree and realize that "I didn't learn as much as I thought I would about X" and they feel regret about their choice.
I feel determining whether you'll learn important skills & topics is important. For this, I (again) suggest looking at your college catalogue.
Also, when you start your freshman year, talk to students within the majors that interests you to see if they're getting what they want out of their degree.
➥ 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬?
Everyone's goals is different.
I always say you 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 need to have your life figured out.
But you 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 have an rough idea of what you want your life to look like in the next two years after college.
Since you're investing a lot of time and resources into your education, your major should help - not hurt you - in terms of pursuing your plans after graduation.
➥ 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞?
You will be working hard for the next four years. Honestly every major is demanding. Some majors are considered harder (engineering, nursing, computer science).
Consider what you want to get out of college.
What do you want to spend time on?
- With clubs/organizations? | With jobs or early internships? | Or do you want more free time to have fun?
There's no right or wrong answer. Just choose your time wisely and don't overwhelm yourself.
Because you still need to take care of your body, mind, social life, and hobbies.
➥ 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞?
So remember those 1-3 career ideas from earlier? Similar to the last question, ask yourself:
What do you want to spend time on as an adult?
- With your hobbies? | With family? | With friends?
Again: choose your time wisely and don't overwhelm yourself.
═══ ═══ ═══ ═══ ═══ ═══
Wow, that was a lot 😄
I really wanted to share these tips, because I wish I knew these things before I started thinking about majors in high school.
Hopefully, these tips help you.
Sending you good luck with forming ideas for your life + for college :)
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
Thank you for your question. Many students may have similar question. The most important is to find what careers you have interest. That’s your priority.
Below are my suggestions:
1. Think about what you have interest, eg your hobbies, your favourite subjects, etc and identify the related careers
Eg if you are interested in music, would you like to be a musician, singer, musical actor, music composer, music producer, etc
If you are interested in maths, would you like to be an accountant, banker, engineer, financial analyst, maths teacher, etc
2. Find out more on these careers and determine what you have interest
3. Speak to someone who are working in these careers. Seek guidance from your mentor, school career counsellor, your parents, etc
4. Shortlist 1-2 careers you would like to pursue
5. Explore the entry criteria of relevant subjects in the college
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
Below are my suggestions:
1. Think about what you have interest, eg your hobbies, your favourite subjects, etc and identify the related careers
Eg if you are interested in music, would you like to be a musician, singer, musical actor, music composer, music producer, etc
If you are interested in maths, would you like to be an accountant, banker, engineer, financial analyst, maths teacher, etc
2. Find out more on these careers and determine what you have interest
3. Speak to someone who are working in these careers. Seek guidance from your mentor, school career counsellor, your parents, etc
4. Shortlist 1-2 careers you would like to pursue
5. Explore the entry criteria of relevant subjects in the college
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
Updated
Doctorate Student’s Answer
Embracing the courage to pursue your dreams is truly a commendable act! Immerse yourself in what fuels your passion, and everything else will naturally align. To unveil your concealed abilities, consider embarking on your educational voyage with General Education classes at a Community College. These classes are typically free, presenting a superb chance to explore subjects that genuinely spark your interest. Remember, college or career counselors are always ready to extend a supportive hand. Their expert guidance could be the magic key to uncovering your hidden talents. So, cheers to a future that's radiant and thriving! May your thrilling journey overflow with limitless success and happiness!