Strategies for choosing a college major

01/05/2007

By Beth Feine, Assistant Director of Career Services

“What’s your major?” The majority of students will struggle with this question at some point during their college careers. Even the student who appears to “have it all figured out” at high school graduation typically goes through moments of self-doubt, if not a full-blown change of college major. This is not very surprising when you consider that the typical first-year student maybe studied ten subjects in high school. Suddenly he or she is presented with four times that many options for a college major.

There are two crucial ingredients to effectively choosing a major: research and self-exploration. Students need to research what a major field of study will require of them, and what they can expect to take away. It is also important for students to explore their own interests, skills, and talents in regards to major. When choosing a major skipping these steps of research and exploration would be like buying a car without looking at the price tag or taking a test drive.

As a parent you can help teach your student how to go about selecting the major that best suits him or her. The following list details several strategies students can use for research and self-exploration.

• Re-visit the “Discover Yourself” and “Discover Possible Majors” portions of ATLAS. 
• Take introductory courses in subjects that sound interesting (often these courses also count towards core requirements for graduation).
• Gather information on the various careers for which majors may prepare you. “What can I do with a Major in _____” can be found online The Career Resource Libraries also house the “Great Jobs for _____ Majors” book series.
• Attend career exploration panels to listen to alumnae/i talk about what they’ve done with their majors. Panels are held most Tuesday nights during the semester.
• Make an appointment with a Career Counselor to create an action plan for choosing or changing your major.
• Meet with your Academic Advisor to discuss major requirements.
• Speak with faculty within the major departments you are considering.
• Seek out juniors, seniors, and/or recent alumnae/i who have been in your shoes and find out what they like and dislike about their majors.

Choosing a major takes time. Don’t be alarmed if your student seems to change majors weekly. Instead, encourage them to use the strategies listed above to dig deeper and think critically about their decision. Also, help us to assist your student by reminding them that Career Services isn’t just for seniors who need a job; Career Counselors also work individually with Johnnies and Bennies to explore and choose majors.