Choosing a College Major

Article Written By: Jean Scott

One of your most important tasks at the beginning of college is to choose a subject that you will major in. This decision is not as difficult as it may seem, especially if you take a careful look at your interests, aptitude and future career goals. If you are still undecided about your college major then consider using my step-by-step guide that is described below.

The first question to ask yourself is "what are you good at?" It is quite logical to build on your strengths rather than to struggle with courses that you may find extremely difficult. For example, if you had good success in high school language courses, either English or foreign languages, then consider continuing that in college with a language major. If you excelled in high school science courses then move in that direction with a major in the area of science that interests you the most. So, look back at your academic career till now and then think about majoring in an area that you have already shown some strength.

Do you know what you want to do when you finish college? If so then this career objective or future plan of action can guide you in choosing a major. For example if you want to be a kindergarten teacher, then an education major makes the most sense. Or if you want to go to law school then a major in any of a number of social sciences would be useful.

If you have not yet decided on your future career then it is good to choose a major that will give you flexibility and greater choice later on. A major in economics, for example, could later prove useful in any career in the broad field of business. Similarly a major in English could provide you with the language skills that will be valuable in many different jobs in the years ahead.

Perhaps the best indicator of what your major should be is simply to look at where your greatest interests lie. What are you passionate about? If you are crazy about science, then continue in that direction and choose a scientific major. If you dream of living abroad, then major in a language of the country of your dreams.

The last step is to test out the possibilities. In the first year of college you probably will not have to decide on your major. So, take a few elective courses in the areas where you think that you might like to major. See how you like those courses, and see how well you do in them. Sometimes the reality of some courses may not match your expectations about a particular field of study and you may have to reconsider whether you want to take more courses in that area.

In summary, you can break down the task of picking a college major simply by looking at your past strengths, your possible career goals, your passionate interests and then testing your hunches with some elective courses during the first part of your college career. If you follow this approach you will find a major that suits you.

About the Author

Jean Scott writes for the American Educational Guidance Center. Among the subjects on which she has produced multiple articles are accelerated online college programs, programs for students with special needs, and inexpensive online degree programs.

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