Choosing a College Major

If you are feeling the pressure of not yet choosing a college major, give yourself permission to relax! You have already made the most important decision by getting a higher education. Take comfort in knowing that you are not alone in having some trouble choosing a college major. Remember that a large part of attending a college or university is being exposed to exploring new opportunities.

If you are still in the process of choosing a college major and are going through your college search, you will find many helpful career assessment sites that can help you to focus your area of interest and abilities. It is also not unusual for schools to offer double majors and minors that enable you to keep your options open as you go along on your academic journey. Choosing a college major will certainly have an impact once you have graduated and are ready to enter the workforce which makes it important that you take your time while still a student. Although your college major will play a factor in your first job, it’s important to keep in mind that most people will actually change careers as many as four or five times.

When choosing a college major, take advantage of the many online career assessment questionnaires to help you narrow your focus. Take a few minutes to make note of the areas that get you excited and the kinds of careers that you might find interesting. Before choosing a college major, visit a couple of career assessment sites that will help direct you through a series of key questions. The questionnaires are designed to help you examine your likes and dislikes through asking such things as:

• What skills do I already have?
• What do you consider to be your current strengths?
• What areas are you uncomfortable or weakest in?
• Did you participate in extracurricular activities during high school?
• Which subjects did you enjoy and excel at?

Once you have carefully and honestly completed one or two career assessment assignments, you can begin the process of career exploration and choosing a college major. Many colleges and universities provide online career exploration tools that provide a lot of valuable information on a variety of occupations. Some of the jobs that you may have thought to be exciting may prove to be less appealing once you research more specific details about it. As you begin to narrow your career choices you will be able to get a better idea about the academic requirements for the choices that you have made. This is a very helpful tool as it can either confirm your goals or perhaps lead you in a direction that you many not have considered before. It’s also a good idea to explore the labour market for the choices you are considering.

The process of examining your likes and dislikes is an important part of choosing a college major. It will help you focus your search in areas that are most suitable for you and your particular personality. Even if you have already chosen a major, remember that choosing a major does not have to be etched in stone and is something that many college students will change over the course of their academic journey.