Choosing the Right College Major When You’re Not Sure

A sizable number of rising college freshmen are undecided as they decide what they want to do in college, and their careers at that. However, that doesn’t mean that you have to have it all figured out when the time does come to choose your major. It’s okay to be undecided; many students will end up changing their majors, and as a rule of thumb, your first choice doesn’t have to be your final choice.

When choosing your college major, start simple. Start with your interests and strengths, look at what classes you favor, skills you naturally enjoy doing/using, and take note of the activities that you do outside of school. From there, research potential career pathways. Explore careers connected to different majors, and take the time to compare salary, job outlook, and required education for your desired career. Sometimes, you may even stumble into a career that you’ll love, but never knew existed!

Taking this into consideration, try and gain some experience before deciding, such as job shadowing, volunteering, internships, and speaking with professionals in your desired field. These opportunities allow you to immerse yourself in what could be your future job, and can also give you a career-related experience to put on your resume if you do decide to pursue it. Going into this, your goal should be to aim for a job that’ll be something you like, as well as something you’ll be able to make a living for.

You should also consider creating a flexible plan; meet up with academic advisors, choose electives that allow you to explore different fields and possible careers, and remember that skills applied in one career can surely be applied into another.

SUCCESS-ID TIP 💬

Don’t choose a major simply because it’s popular. Choose one that’ll match your strengths, interests, and the future that you want to build!