Kan Dail
Picking a major can be challenging, especially when you are still contemplating what career you want to pursue. With brief introductions to different fields and practically no professional experience, you can find yourself in a tough position. However, this is not something to be afraid of because it is perfectly normal to be undecided.
Statistics show that between 20% and 50% of freshmen are unaware of which degree or career path they will choose. Moreover, 75% of undergraduate students will decide to change their majors during college. It is perfectly normal to be indecisive and try new things before settling on what you truly want to do.
The importance of choosing the right major
Once you complete a degree in a certain field, finding a job besides that niche or industry is hard. Unless you enroll in a short course or a different major for your postgrad, you won’t be able to alter the direction your career path has started to take. You are setting your professional journey in stone with the undergraduate degree, so it is important to pick it wisely.
What NOT to do when choosing an undergraduate degree?
Some students are pressured by their families and peers to declare a major they have no interest in. Other students turn to a representative of authority to decide for them. The absence of information could also cause this career choice to be poor. For instance, there are options for online undergraduate programs these days, which is ideal when they cannot manage their class schedules. Not knowing the benefits of online learning opportunities can lead to uninformed choices to aren’t good.
Furthermore, some students begin a major that seems exciting, only to find out later that it is very different from what they had anticipated. Some people choose this path because it could result in a good paycheck, and they end up financially comfortable but working a job they detest every day. You wouldn’t want to be that individual because that is not the ideal life that you would want for yourself at all.
Tips for choosing the right major
Now, you must be wondering what you should study in college. Well, here are some of the things that would help you decide:
1. Understand your passion
Gone are the olden days when medicine or engineering was the only preferred profession and the sole choice thought to lead to a solid career. Today, individuals choose their degrees based on what they want to do. Be it art, music, cybersecurity, programming, digital marketing, or various other fields.
You must understand where your passion lies before picking an undergraduate degree. There is no point in going through college and getting burnt out in the first year because you realize that what you are studying is of no interest to you. In today’s day and age, enjoying your studies is important because it helps you absorb knowledge at a much better rate.
2. Be sure to talk to your advisor
There is no shame in being confused. With limited exposure to the practical world, picking the right major can be hard. Seek as much help as you can. More specifically, visit your advisor from time to time when you feel stuck during the decision-making process. Since these professionals have been navigating life for a long time and have seen hundreds of students coming to them for advice, they are in a position to help. They can assist you by analyzing your personality and identifying where your interests lie when you are unable to tell. They can also inform you about your university’s relevant degree options.
3. There is nothing wrong with considering real-world implications
While you should follow your passions and dreams, there is nothing wrong with thinking practically every now and then. A college education is a substantial investment and many students remain in debt for several years after graduating. Therefore, it doesn’t hurt for you to explore what the career prospects for your chosen field are like.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that if your degree of choice pays less or has limited growth opportunities, you dump it altogether. However, you can consider options where the pay scales can grow and other relevant industries you can explore. For instance, if you are pursuing music and you know not every artist becomes Beyoncé or Jay-Z, the internet has massive opportunities to monetize your works and earn handsome payouts.
4. Find ways to discover your passion
There are numerous ways through which you can find out where your interests and passion truly lie. Some of them include:
- Explore student bodies, societies, and organizations working in the field that interests you
- Find summer programs in the relevant industry and join them for some professional experience
- Take respective career assessments to help make things clear,
- Look in your social circle and find someone who will let you follow them as they do their job in the field that you think you like
- Volunteer for causes in the field that interests you
- Register for exploratory workshops that can give you experiential learning to understand the field of your choosing
All these steps bring you closer to the real world by giving you insights into what working in your niche of interest is like. They help you make a clear decision with the relevant knowledge and understanding.
5. Check how strongly you want it
Many times, there is something that you feel you love doing, but once you pursue it as a career, the charm dies away. For example, you may have loved art and painting or sculpting since you were a kid and thought to pursue that as a profession but just a year down the line, your zeal starts to fade away. You realize that art is fine as a hobby but not what you want to do full-time. This is quite common and is also why you need to check how strongly you want to pursue a certain field.
Conclusion
Picking the right undergraduate degree can be one of the most challenging decisions you ever make in life. However, it is also the most important because it is something you must endure for four years minimum and then a lifetime going forward unless you choose to study something else afterward. So, take your sweet time to make this decision.