5 Questions to Answer When Choosing a Major
BY JIMMY ROHAMPTON
Choosing a major is one of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make. You can read all the college blogs you like, but only you can make that final decision. To help you make that decision you should ask yourself a number of key questions, which are detailed below.
- Do You Want to Do that Major?
This is the first question you need to ask. If you want to do a major, you should do it. But don’t allow yourself to be bullied into it because a family member says you have to do something. This is your life and it makes no sense to spend the next few years struggling down a path you never wanted to be on in the first place.
Think carefully about whether you want to do a major before you actually commit to it, otherwise it could make your college life hell.
- Do You Know Enough About It?
Some students will pick up a major because they think it sounds good. That’s no way to choose a major. You need to look into that major and think about whether you know enough about that subject and whether it’s everything you expected it to be.
It’s important that you educate yourself on the content of the course. You don’t want to expect something from a course and get something entirely different.
- Does Your College Have a Good Reputation for this Major?
You want the best quality teaching possible. One of the worst things you can do is to choose a major at a college that isn’t recognized for that major. Make sure you read the various college blogs to find out what your college specializes in. There are multiple reasons for this.
First of all, you won’t get the level of teaching quality you want. There’s a reason why certain colleges aren’t known for science or for law. Secondly, a degree in a major from a certain college isn’t worth as much as it is from a different college. Some colleges offer majors that aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on.
- Are You Good at this Subject?
A science genius isn’t going to major in English literature. Someone who’s gifted in medicine isn’t going to take a course in history. So why would you major in something you’re not actually good at?
You need to think about whether you’re good at your subject. Think about whether you have any aptitude for the major on the table. Have you done a learnership on a related subject or studied some basics about the subject and found it an area of strength for you?
- Does it Offer a Career Path?
There are too many students leaving college with worthless degrees. So many graduates work in non-graduate roles because they took a course that had no value in the real world. Make sure that you’re taking a course that offers a viable career path, otherwise you could be completely wasting your time.
Conclusion – Cooling Off Period
You need to make sure that you’re giving yourself enough time to think about this. Rushing into the decision will only increase the chances of leaving disappointed later.
What do you think is the best way to make sure you choose the right major?
Jimmy Rohampton is a freelance writer, business consultant and the creator of HowToCreateABlog.org, where he empowers people to gain digital skills.
