How to choose your college major

In addition to being a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, I do also have a credential in school counseling.  It is with this in mind that I am writing this blog.

There is a belief that adulthood starts the moment a child leaves home to spend the next few years at college. After all, the school they go to, as well as the major they choose, is the first major decision that many will have made in their lives. It may not seem like it, but choosing a major is not as easy as it may seem, especially when the job market is in a less than perfect state. Many college age kids spend altogether too much time trying to predict the future, which can make settling on that major a bit of a challenge. There are some things that they can do to make it easier, though, so let’s take a look at a few.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with waiting a year before making a decision on a major. It’s not every student that heads off to college with their future totally mapped out, and an increasing number are taking general education classes and waiting until their junior year before making a decision. You may be surprised to learn that this is something that colleges do not discourage, as they want their students to know exactly what they want, and to have the drive and focus to go after it. If that takes a year for them to figure out, then so be it.

While waiting to choose can be a good idea, it should be noted that this can be a costly maneuver in regards finances if not done properly. College tuition is not cheap, and adding on an extra year or two can mean leaving school with a mountain of debt at the end. While schools are on board with taking time in declaring a major, they will also suggest that you don’t wait too long. Use that first year to talk to student advisers and career specialists about what major may best suit your specific talents and interests. When you see what options are available, choosing a major becomes that much easier.  No matter your major, you are required to take general education classes.  These classes are generally equivalent across the board.  If you spend your time taking these classes while you decide on a major, you don’t tack on time by taking classes you don’t need.

By the time you are ready to head to college, you will probably have at least one or two things that you are passionate about. Think about the types of careers that can be followed that will fuel those passions along the way. You may also consider choosing a minor along with your major, just so that you have more career options available to you once your time at school is over.

One tip to consider:  Think about volunteering in the field you are interested in.  This will do two things.  First, it will allow you to get a skill set that you can bring to interviews that other people who graduate at the same time as you will not have.   Second, it gives you an idea of what that college major will actually look like in a job.  If you think you want to be a lawyer and you volunteer at a law center, you might find that you love it and it is the career for you or you could find that you hate the career.   If you are thinking of being an attorney, you may love fighting for peoples’ rights, being an advocate, or even want to help shape laws or defend innocent people.  Maybe if you volunteer, you find out that paperwork (or another task) is too much for you to want to complete on a day to day basis.  There are “hidden” parts to every career that you may love or hate.  You might not know what those “hidden” parts are until you actually do the job.

It should be noted that there are exceptions to the rules above.  I would encourage you to talk about these points with your school counselor or come on in and set up an appointment if you want to talk out options.