How Critical is it to Select the Right Major in College?
How Critical is it to Select the Right Major in College?
Still trying to decide what is the “right” major for you? Deciding which college major prepares you to manage more effectively the ups and downs of today’s dynamically changing world economy is critical to both your future personal as well as professional success.
Selecting the right major in college for any individual usually depends on a combination of the following three personal traits:
- Your Skills
- Your Talents
- Your Passions
Your first step is to take some “me” time and ask yourself the following questions – actually listing your responses. You may discover along the way that some of your skills, talents, and passions may overlap – a big clue in deciding your future major:
Q What can I really do well i.e. writing, team player, bi-lingual, time management, work ethic, people-manager, etc.?
Q What are my talents. For example, are you good at sports, math, science, art, carpentry, mechanical things, music, dancing, etc.
Q Lastly, what makes you passionate? Passion drives motivation. In other words, think about what you really love doing and add that to your list.
Going through the above process, analyzing your results, and having conversations with your campus academic and career advisers will give you the baseline information you’ll need to ultimately determine your college major.
Doing this exercise prior to and/or early on in your freshman year does produce unanticipated lasting benefits throughout your entire college career such as
- a more focused direction,
- networking opportunities,
- better grades,
- a career track you love
- and most importantly, less stress.
Remember, you can always change your mind, but carefully analyze your options if you should decide to do so.
In the next 4 yrs., today’s freshmen will be applying for jobs that currently don’t exist. So in the final analysis, regardless of your final major choices, in today’s competitive economy, employers across America want employees who can think critically, problem solve, communicate, and work in a team environment. Most college majors, if not all, will provide you with, at least, baseline exposure to that employer wish list. Just make sure you select an undergraduate major that you enjoy so you can excel once you enter the “real” world of work.
