Last Updated on March 31, 2022 by
Choosing a major to take in college is a big responsibility. It’s something that you have to give a lot of time and thought to since you’ll be spending years of your life on it. If you’re undecided or unsure about what major you should take, you’re not alone. It’s normal not to know what you want to do for the rest of your life at your age, so don’t rush finding out what it is.
As cliche as it may sound, you have to identify your passion when choosing your major. If you’re passionate about what you’re going to take, it will be easier for you to love it. If it’s easy to love, you’ll never get tired of it. That’s why finding your passion is the most common advice you’ll hear when choosing a major. You have to find something you love to do. Because if you don’t, it will make your life miserable.
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How do you find out what the right major is for you? Here are some of the best tips
Ask Yourself Why
If you haven’t already, ask yourself why you want to further your studies. What is it that you want to achieve by taking up a major? Why do you want to do that? Answering these questions can help narrow down your choices from the beginning.
There are many reasons you would want to pursue a major and further your studies. It could be because you want to get higher up the corporate ladder and take the next step in your career. Maybe you want to extend the skill set you already have to get better at what you do. It can also be something more purposeful or philanthropic, like improving the lives of local communities. For example, if you want to provide your neighbors with better dental care, taking a dental course becomes a no-brainer. That’s why finding out your “why” can help you decide what you should take.
Try to pursue something that will help you reach your end goal. After all, it’s the whole reason you wanted to pursue a major in the first place.
Take a Look into the Future
While furthering your studies is an excellent investment for yourself and your future, those majors cost money. They don’t come cheap either. Ask yourself if pursuing them is realistic for you and your current situation. First of all, can you afford the tuition fees and the cost of living? Do you need to work while studying? If you have to, can you manage to do both? Keep in mind that there’s no point in taking a major if it won’t improve your life or stress you out.
With that said, you’ll want to find out what your potential career paths are after you complete them and see if they can pay you well enough to justify the cost of taking them. Knowing these things can also help you decide better what major you want to take because you’ll know beforehand what you’re getting yourself into before deciding on one.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Another way to choose a major to pursue is knowing your strengths and weaknesses. You can either decide to further improve upon what you’re good at or address areas where you are lacking. Try to create a list of fields or industries you’re interested in and match it with your capabilities and skills to see which relevant majors suit you the best. If you’re good at tech, taking up studies in computer science or programming will fit you best. Suppose you feel like you’re not knowledgeable enough about entrepreneurship. You can make up for it by taking a business major to learn more about it.
As long as it checks all the boxes we’ve discussed thus far, you’re on the right track.
You Can Reset
Making such a big decision can be overwhelming both before and after you make it. While you shouldn’t rush in choosing the major you’ll take, you also shouldn’t take too long or else you won’t get anywhere. Don’t worry too much about getting it right on the first try. It’s okay if you don’t end up liking the major you chose, you can always request a transfer from your school if you change your mind. Even if they don’t allow such a thing, you can pack up, cut your losses, and go elsewhere. Don’t force yourself to commit to it and be miserable.
There are so many possibilities for your future that you can explore. Take these tips we’ve shared and find yourself a major that you resonate with and love. Remember, it’s all about what’s important to you and your goals. As long as you don’t forget that, you’ll find the perfect major that will help you reach the success you’ve always wanted.
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