What questions to consider to find the perfect field of study
This post is all about how to choose a college major.
If you’re feeling stressed and indecisive when it comes to picking a major for your undergraduate degree, I’ve got you! This post includes a full list on how to choose a college major that you really love.
One of the most stressful parts of college for many students is choosing a major.
When I was going into college, I stressed out SO MUCH about choosing the perfect field of study because it felt like I was choosing the course of the rest of my life.
No matter what point of your studies you’re at, I think these questions will help you nail down the ideal college major for you. Whether you’re a freshman or sophomore trying to pick a major by the end of your sophomore year, or a high school student trying to figure out where to take your bachelor’s degree for the best career opportunities in your particular field, this is a super important decision.
It doesn’t have to be stressful though!
Here’s a list of some tips and questions to help you find the perfect fit.
TIPS ON HOW TO CHOOSE A COLLEGE MAJOR:
Before you even dive into figuring out which major is best for you, there are some tips that will help you get your mindset in the right place to make a good decision.
You can’t go into this type of life decision with intense stress, or you won’t be able to think clearly! So, here are some tips that will help you consider different majors from a logical and calm perspective.
1. Don’t think of it as a life sentence
Did you know that about 1/3 of college students change their major when getting their bachelor’s degree?
You may not want to change your major part way through (to avoid yourself the headache), but it’s important to remember that choosing a college major is not a life sentence.
Even if you ultimately end up wishing you chose a different major after you’re done your degree, people make career changes and seek out new opportunities all the time. I know that’s probably not your goal (you want to do it right from the start, as you should!) but it can really help your stress levels to remember that no college major is a life sentence!
And, if you really wanted to, you can always do a double major as well!
College minors also exist, so if you have something you’re interested in that you don’t quite want to major in, making it your minor is a great option.
2. Experience matters, too
The college major you choose DOES matter, but experience also matters.
Your major will help you start to get your first few opportunities in your field and start building a resume, but down the road, employers are going to care more about what experience you have than what your college major was (generally speaking).
So, remember that your college major alone isn’t what determines the success of your career. Your experience, work ethic, and skills are also hugely important!
This can help take some of the stress off.
3. Consider the worth of ALL your commitments
Sometimes, students fall into the temptation of selecting the more “impressive” major just because of how it looks on paper, but this isn’t always good in the long run.
Consider what extracurriculars, jobs, internships, and other commitments you have because many of those things are also incredibly value to both your college experience AND your career goals.
4. Talk to people who know you really well
Figuring out how to choose a college major by yourself is a daunting task, but you don’t need to do it alone! It can be incredibly helpful to talk to mentors who know you really well that can steer you towards a particular major or help you reflect on what the best choice would be.
These mentors might be parents, teachers, coaches, siblings, relatives, or anyone in your life that will help you understand the different options you have. I’m so glad I talked to teachers and mentors who knew me well before picking a college major because I may have chosen differently if I hadn’t!
This is not to say that you have to do exactly what to say, but it can be really helpful to talk to several people who know you well.
5. Make a pro/con list
When you have your selections narrowed down to a couple college majors, make a pro/con list. A list like this will really help you understand where your academic career could take you in each of these different majors.
6. Think about student loan debt
Student loan debt WILL impact your life for years to come. With your list of potential college majors, how many student loans will you have to take out for each of these?
It’s not just about your bachelor’s degree, either. Let’s say you want to become a lawyer or a doctor. You’ll have lots of schooling to do after you get your initial degree. If being a doctor or lawyer is something you’re really excited about and you know you’ll be able to make the money back to pay off your student loans, then great! But if it’s not something you really love, you may want to think about the significant investment you’re putting into something you’re not that passionate about.
This sounds so simple, but you would be surprised how many people honestly choose majors that they don’t actually love, just because they think they’ll make a lot of money or look impressive! I’ve literally seen people spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to become lawyers, only to quit a few months into actually being a lawyer because they realized they didn’t love it. If possible, it’s always better to avoid that situation!
7. Consider the most popular college majors right now
It’s worthwhile to consider what the most popular college majors currently are.
Why?
Because these may either be the best majors or not-so-great majors to get into. If there are tons of people graduating at the same time as you from the same major and all trying to get jobs with similar education and experience levels, this is something to consider. However, sometimes college majors are popular because they’re versatile or there is a great need in that industry. So, it’s important to weigh your potential college majors against what’s super popular right now as a starting point to judge its feasibility.
The most popular college majors right now are things like:
- Business and business administration
- Health professions/majors for healthcare professionals
- Social sciences and history
- Engineering
- Biological and biomedical sciences
8. Talk to the people who are taking the college major you’re considering
One of my FAVORITE tips on how to choose a college major is to try and talk to someone who is already taking the college major you’re considering.
Older students are often happy to talk to younger students about their experiences. When I was trying to decide on a college major and figure out what college to go to, I reached out to someone older than me from my high school (who I barely even knew) that had gone into the major I was considering. She answered all my questions and even offered to look over my college application and give me tips.
When you reach out to people who might be able to help, the WORST thing they can do is say no. A lot of the time, people are even nicer than you think and this is HUGELY helpful in the decision-making process and understanding the possibilities of your future career path!
QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU CHOOSE YOUR OWN MAJOR:
1. What are you hoping to get out of college?
Are you hoping to walk out with your dream job, or are you mostly here to learn new things and find yourself along the way? This might sound like a silly question, but college really can serve different purposes for different people.
I didn’t walk out of college with a direct path into my dream job. I had to be super intentional about building up experiences and career prospects throughout my college life. But what I did get out of college was a bigger network of people, and I learned lots from very accomplished professors and mentors I met along the way.
Although college didn’t hold my hand into a specific career path, it did provide me with invaluable knowledge, relationships, and experiences that got me several steps further in my career.
So, consider all the things college might give you. It might not be a traditional or straightforward career path (or it might be, and that’s great!) but there are several other benefits.
2. What subjects and activities do you enjoy most?
This question is such a simple one, and hopefully quite easy to answer, but it really will help you figure out the next step towards the right college major.
The right fit will always be something that you enjoy or find interesting to some extent.
You don’t necessarily need to make every hobby your career, but it is possible for everyone to find the right path in higher education that genuinely appeals to their interests. So, as you’re considering different fields of study, think about what subjects you genuinely enjoy, and what options you have related to those subjects.
3. Are you an entrepreneurial person, or do you prefer stability?
This question is actually more important than you would think. There are several college majors that lend themselves to people who are highly entrepreneurial, and other college majors that lend themselves to people who prefer sticking to a regular routine with more stability.
For example, if you’re studying nursing, your goal might be to get a job at a great hospital and have stability in your life after college. Whereas if you choose Illustration as a college major, this doesn’t lend itself to a specific or clear career path, so you may need to have more of a knack for being entrepreneurial and paving your own way.
Obviously, these are huge generalizations.
There are going to be accountants who start their own businesses, doctors who open their own clinics, and artists who end up getting a 9-5 and loving it. But when you’re initially choosing a college major, understanding your personality is a great way to figure out what your ideal career options are.
4. What skills come naturally to you?
College education isn’t all about your interests and enjoyment. It’s also important to consider what skills come naturally to you, and how these skills lend themselves to different career paths.
For example, if you’re super type-A and organized, you might be a great project manager or event planner. If you have a great skill for talking to people and making people feel comfortable, you might make a great therapist or salesperson. If you’re great at debating and formulating a strong argument, you may become a great lawyer.
You’re way more likely to love your chosen career path if you get to use skills that already come naturally to you!
5. What are your personal “super powers”?
Everyone has personal super powers! These aren’t necessarily skills but rather unique strengths you have that most people don’t have.
Just to give you a few examples of personal super powers, I was recently in a group setting where someone asked this question and here were some of the answers people gave:
- I’m very approachable, and often people will tell me things about their life very quickly and easily because they feel I’m safe
- I can zone in on a task for a really long time without getting distracted
- I’m good at understanding different perspectives and finding common ground, so people often come to me in a disagreement
- I have a very low-energy, collected personality so I make a room feel calmer
- I have the ability to pick up on details that most people don’t see
- When I find a new hobby I get really invested in it, so I end up learning new things quickly and often
You get the idea. The great thing about this question is that it doesn’t focus on work-related skills or academic skills, but something that makes you unique as a person. This can really help put into perspective what your ideal career would be!
6. What is one thing you struggle with?
Understanding your weaknesses and struggles will help you understand what majors you actually wouldn’t enjoy!
There are always going to be aspects of your chosen career path that you don’t like, but understanding your biggest struggles gives you away to either avoid them or grow to be better.
7. What careers do you envision yourself in?
This question is an obvious one, but understanding what careers you could see yourself enjoying is a great starting point. Then, you can start looking at different programs and weighing the pros and cons of what they offer.
8. If you struggle to envision yourself in a specific career, what jobs or extracurriculars have you done in the past that you really loved? What did you love about them?
The reality is, not everyone experiences a strong calling towards a specific career (don’t worry, I didn’t either!).
If you’re struggling to envision yourself in a particular career, think about what jobs, volunteering, and extracurriculars you have done in the past that you really loved.
For example, maybe you played a team sport like volleyball and always loved being part of a team. This is a great indication that you’ll feel most fulfilled in a job where you get to be part of a team rather than doing your own individual tasks.
Or, perhaps you were a coach or team captain and you know you loved leading. This is a great indicator that you would feel most fulfilled in a college major or career where you get opportunities to lead!
9. What lifestyle do you want in the future?
Lifestyle is an important consideration.
What income opportunities actually come with your selected major? What kind of lifestyle does this allow you to live?
Do you want the kind of life where you work all the time, or would you prefer more flexibility? Do you want to move around a lot, or settle down somewhere and stay there for life?
These considerations are all factors in choosing the right career, which in turn helps you choose the right college major!
10. What are the opportunity prospects for the majors you’re considering? What kind of internship, research, or experience opportunities are available for the majors you’re considering?
Now that you’re getting a better sense of what jobs you would excel in and enjoy most, think about the opportunity prospects of the college majors you’re considering. This is one of the most important steps in how to choose a college major.
For example, do they have a built-in internship? Are there extracurriculars related to your major that will help you gain experience?
Understanding your opportunities outside of academics is incredibly important, because experience always looks good on a resume!
As well, consider what kinds of jobs you’ll be able to get once you graduate with your chosen major.
12. What kind of networking opportunities do you have in your areas of interest?
Networking is HUGE for career opportunities. I got my first job solely based on connections, and so did my husband. In fact, we have both had jobs in the past that neither of us even applied for. We were just super intentional about building relationships outside of school and work, and we ended up getting job offers just because the people looking to hire knew us and trusted us!
Networking is honestly the BEST for building a career, no matter what kind of career you’re pursuing.
There will always be networking opportunities in college, but it’s still important to consider when you’re figuring out how to choose a college major.
Are there events, courses, internship opportunities, scholarships, or projects you can join that will put you in a position to network with new people? You don’t always know in advance, but if you can talk to people who are currently taking the major you’re considering, this will help you take a significant step in understanding what your networking opportunities could be.
