How to Choose a College Major
Congratulations! You’ve decided to pursue a college degree after you graduate from high school. Perhaps Concordia University, Nebraska has even taken one of the top spots on your list of postsecondary institutions you may choose to attend. Now what? That’s right – you need to choose a major.
No matter where you are in your journey to beginning college or deciding on the right major now that you have started, committing to a specific field that will guide your collegiate studies and your post-college career can be tricky.
It is often easiest to start your consideration by thinking of what you enjoy. This could be almost anything, from a sport to a hobby, a subject in school, or even a topic that all the books on your bookshelf seem to have in common. For me, psychology and medicine were two topics that piqued my interest at various times in my life. I could see myself combining these in my future career. If you can see your interests in the same way, perfect! If not, no need to worry – we can always dig a little deeper.
When you were younger, you might have wanted to be an astronaut, a princess or even a dinosaur when you grew up. Even if your goals were a little more practical, such as wanting to become a teacher or a parent, there were reasons that you looked toward these paths as a goal. It’s likely that you still have overarching intentions like these. Maybe you wanted to be a dinosaur because they’re very strong, or a princess because you hoped to preside over a group of people – in style, of course! When choosing your major, it is important to consider ambitions like these. Wanting to help people, teach or share Jesus with others are all goals that can correlate with many different college majors and eventual careers.
Of course, when in doubt, turn to YouTube. Yes, really! YouTube is filled with videos created by people in fields from mechanical engineering to studio art that can teach you all about different careers held by real workers. If you’re curious about what you could do with a major in a specific field of study, watch videos and look at other online resources. Then, once you narrow down your list, reach out to real people in careers that you find interesting, and ask to “shadow” them, or follow them around for a few hours. While not all people will be willing or able to offer this service, many can – put yourself out there and ask questions!
Speaking of questions, you can even ask yourself questions like these before you commit to choosing a specific major.
Choosing a college major is one of the biggest decisions you will ever make – but do not let that scare you. It is completely normal to change your mind, change your major, or to still feel like you are figuring things out in college. And while committing to a specific major may seem like a daunting task, many are broad enough that you can apply them to a multitude of graduate degrees or later careers. You do not even have to enter college with a declared major! So let these ideas be a guide and let them give you the freedom to begin your search for a major with an open mind.
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