How to Choose the Right Major for You in College
So you have made the decision to attend college. Good for you! What an amazing decision to continue your education in the hopes of getting a better job. However, now you have to decide what is the right major for you. This can be quite tricky because you want to choose something that you are passionate about but also something that you can market as a perfect tool for a job. This is a decision that you alone have to make because even though your parents may heavily influence you, they will not be the ones pursuing this career, trust me.
My parents repeatedly pushed for me to go into the medical field, so I entered college having declared a biology major and absolutely hated it. While I knew I could finish the degree with some hard work, I knew it was not what my heart was in. I am a firm believer in finding a job that you love so that you never have to work a day in your life. I hope that in going through these tips, you are able to choose the right major for you in college.
What do you Value?
What is it that you have a passion for? Is it animals? Kids? The environment? Try to think back to what you really enjoyed doing or volunteering for in high school or think about topics that you love learning more about. Are you a history buff? Or maybe you enjoy learning more about our current population. You should make a list of all the things that you enjoy and value that would make you happy to learn more about and work with your future.
Now some may not know what they value or enjoy doing so I would advise to those to make a list of things you know you would not like. Sometimes it’s easier to detail what we don’t like versus what we do like. By making this list, you should be able to rule out certain professions that are not for you and give a clearer picture of what you might be interested in. If you have a certain school in mind already, print out a list of their majors that they offer and go through and mark out what you would not want to do.
Try to Find an Internship
Once you get to college this is something that everyone will preach over and over to you. Find internships!! This is the perfect way to put yourself in a position to test out whether you enjoy what you are doing or despise it. If you have a general idea of what you want to major in in college, try to find an internship during high school or the summer before you start to test it out and see how that lifestyle fits for you. You may find that you don’t like it or further confirm your love for the field. If you are unable to find an internship, try to volunteer somewhere or shadow someone that you know that is in the field you want to be in.
Take Personality Tests
Personality tests are great for so many reasons. You can figure out what kind of person you are, what situations you work best in, and who you work best with. That is why taking personality tests are perfect for picking the right major. If you are a big introvert, you may not do so well in a profession that requires you to be around people all of the time. Or if you are a big extrovert, you may not enjoy a profession that keeps you working alone.
Many jobs now are surveying your personality type through the questionnaires you are required to fill out when applying. I would suggest taking more than one test to figure out what your personality is because each test may offer more information than the last. Here are a few tests that will help you figure out your personality for choosing the right major:
My Career Quizzes helps you to discover what your personality is in many different career aspects such as office relationship, job security, and if your career is desirable to you.
This quiz helps you to determine your career personality profile and match it with the career that best enhances your inner self and use of your natural gifts
This quiz hones right in to give you the specific major you should pursue in college.
This quiz takes into account your personality, skills, values, and ambitions. This is a good one to take when making that list of what you value.
I added this quiz because it while it doesn’t generate a major or career path for you, it helps you to better understand yourself and others. Knowing these results can help you in so many different situations other than just majors and careers.
College is About Change
Overall, college is about growth and change. You may end up changing your major 5, 10, or 20 times (although I hope not) but this is the place to figure out who you are and what it is that you want. You may enter as one major and leave as another. So even if you are in college at the moment, you may not be in the right major for yourself. It would be a shame to put all this money towards bettering yourself and your future and you end up picking a major that leads you to a career you hate.
While money is a huge concern for many, you need to find that happy medium between being able to survive and being able to enjoy your career. As my roommate Raven says, “if I have to work for the rest of my life, it might as well be in something that I like.” While Raven’s motto is a bit depressing, I would have to agree that you want to choose a major that will lead you to a better future and has some enjoyment in it.
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Resources: Career Quizzes , LifeScript, Homework Tips, Team Technology, My Personality Test
How did you choose the right major? Please share your tips and advice below in the comments box!
