How to Choose a College Major ? – A Big Decision

Most of the colleges ask for a college major while filling the application form, and this creates a pressure on the applicant as he’s already got too many suggestions from his parents, teachers, counselors, and mentors. The pressure of identifying how to choose a college major. According to the universities, there are about 25-30% students who shift from one major to another at least once. About 8-10% students are sure and confident about the major that they choose.

So let us read more to identify

how to choose a college

major.

 

Myths about Majors that create confusion among the applicants:

 

1. Opting for a STEM as a major will pay back more

• Yes, Engineering and computer science are highest paying back majors, but packages within specific programs differ big time.
• There are ample examples, where history or English major earns much more than a chemical engineer.

 

2. Women opt for Social Services or Education, which are less paying fields

• Women are going to a much wider range of fields. They make up almost 58% of students enrolled last fall.

 

3. Major Weighs more than the name of the College

• Market trends and other figures clearly show that students who graduate from more elite schools, make more money
• Better the university, better will be networking with classmates and alumni society.
• Majors in low paying fields like humanities, arts, with good networks help in finding a good job.
• Elite/ selective colleges provide a platform for better job training at their own campus or graduate schools.

 

4. Choose Liberal Arts and Stay Unemployed

• There are abundant jobs in the market that require this skill set
• Liberal art is a broader term which includes specific major say Sociology, geography, history, modern languages, commercial art, photography and many more.
• Additional courses in data analysis, social media, helps increase entry-level job chances substantially.

 

5. It’s a must to choose major while applying

• It’s perfectly fine to first explore different fields before declaring one to college
• Students, who felt confident of their choice while applying, approximately 23% changed their field by the end of the second or the third semester.
• Shifting from one major to another, especially if second is not related to first, may demand more time. To avoid such risks, the student may initially opt for meta majors/ undeclared, which is a broader group including many specifications.

 

6. Major is required

• A good number of colleges have now given the option to ignore the major specialty in the initial semester of college.
• As per studies, only 33% of college majors, take up a job in their field of study
• Restricting your knowledge and skill set to only major can never be beneficial at the or place.

 

To sum up, how to choose a college major using following tips:

• Match your career goals
• College happiness and success
• Aligned with your interests and skills set
• Check degree requirements at the colleges
• Major must go aligned with your core values
• Don’t misunderstand your interests as your career goals. Choose elective credits or course Era for your interests
• Go for introductory courses before declaring your majors.
• Seek help from the school counselor
• Take up a career assessment quiz with prospective university

 

– Team Leverage