Your choice of major will have some repercussions for your professional life, and pretending otherwise is unrealistic. However, it absolutely will not lock you into a particular destiny for your entire life.

What Should I Major In? How to Choose a Major in 9 Steps

What should I major in? This question causes anxiety in the heart of every student, but with the help of this complete tutorial, you’ll soon learn how to choose a major you’ll love Tips and advice from experts will get you on your way to choosing a major for university and college courses right away.

There are literally thousands of majors to choose from, and each university and college program will vary on their offerings. You need to pick a major that your future self will thank you for.

Don’t worry – it’s not as hard as it sounds. With this complete guide where we’ll walk you step-by-step through the process, you’ll be well on the way to finding the right major for you.

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What Major Should I Choose? Help Me!

I imagine that if you are reading this article, you are feeling some level of uncertainty or anxiety about choosing a college major. This is completely understandable. As parents, teachers, and counselors have no doubt hammered into you, choosing a major in college is an important decision. It’s one of the first big independent decisions of your academic and professional life. In many ways, choosing a major functions as a rite of passage in the process of becoming an adult.

Some people know what to major in in college before they even start high school. However, most people don’t, so if you have no idea how to choose a college major, don’t panic. (Even if you’re a second-semester sophomore in college!)

With that said, neither I nor anyone else can tell you what major to choose. And if you do let someone else choose for you (like your parents), you’re likely to be miserable. The truth is that the process of thoughtfully selecting the best major for you takes work—work that you need to put in yourself.

What if you can’t decide on a major?

It’s okay to enter college as an undecided major. You don’t have to know what you want to major in (or even what you want to do with the rest of your life) during your major search process. College gives you the opportunity to take classes you think you might enjoy or even classes you’ve never been exposed to before.

Volunteer and find internships. Internships and volunteer work are the best ways to get real hands-on experience in fields a major can lead to. You’ll get a great understanding of what day-to-day life in the profession is like. If you can, talk to people in different departments to see if their work interests you.

Events at local colleges/college visits. You can learn a lot from visiting colleges or attending events on campus. Colleges have open houses or accepted student days where department representatives answer questions and offer you their knowledge. There are also students around you can talk to about their major and class experiences in the major.

Should You Double Major in College?

Undergraduates aren’t necessarily limited to one field of study. Most colleges and universities allow students to double major or even triple major. Normally, students who double major choose two academic fields that complement each other, though you’re not required to do this.

For example, students hoping to establish careers in international business might double major in business management and a foreign language. Other popular major combinations include accounting and finance, engineering and math, political science and philosophy, and criminal justice and psychology.

What’s Next?

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Ellen has extensive education mentorship experience and is deeply committed to helping students succeed in all areas of life. She received a BA from Harvard in Folklore and Mythology and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University.

Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com, allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Ask questions; get answers.

References:

https://zety.com/blog/how-to-choose-a-major
https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-choose-a-major#:~:text=How%20to%20Choose%20a%20Major:%20During%20College%201,about%20the%20negative%20things%20about%20any%20potential%20major.
https://blog.collegeboard.org/the-ultimate-guide-to-choosing-a-major
https://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/choosing-a-major/
https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-choose-a-major