Still Cant Decide What To Major In
The process of choosing a major can feel pretty intimidating. After all, youre making a choice that will impact the rest of your college educationand perhaps your career path as well. But its also an exciting opportunity to really delve into the topics that excite you the most, and get you ready for whatever lies after college, whether thats graduate school or the working world.
Keep asking yourself the questions listed above, and dont be shy about enlisting help from family, friends, advisors, and professors. If you want to test drive a career, volunteering or interning in a field can give you a sense of what working in it would really be likeand perhaps give you the inspiration you need. And if you really cant choose between two majors, well, theres always the option to double major.
Resources For Choosing College Majors
Take advantage of your colleges career center. These centers can usually connect you with an advisor who can help you identify your interests and strengths, find job shadowing opportunities and internships, and explore careers.
Check out career-oriented websites and books designed to help you identify your skills and interests. What Can I Do with This Major?;is an online database some colleges subscribe to that lists common career areas by major. It can give you a good idea of the types of majors that exist and the types of careers those majors might prepare you for.
Take personality and skills tests. You can also take tests that help you assess your strengths and personality and how they might translate into potential majors and careers. The Department of LaborsO*NET Interest Profiler scores students in six interest areas and provides career suggestions in each area.
What Majors Will My College Have
While most colleges and universities have similar majors, the specific majors you can choose from depends on the college you go to. Some places have similar types of majors that have different names .
If you’re curious whether or not your college has a specific major, the best thing to do is check your college’s course catalog. You’ll be able to see all of the specific majors you can choose from, as well as what courses you can take in of the different majors.
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Campus Visits In Your College Search
Imagine buying a house. You would inevitably do research online. You might even take virtual tours of the homes that appeal to you. But before you sign on the dotted line, you will need to actually walk through the house yourself. You need to step inside to see if it feels like home. And if it’s worth the investment.
Its similar with colleges.
In spite of the depth and breadth of college search tools you have at your disposal, they are no exceptions to visiting campus in person. So, after you have narrowed your college list to a manageable number, its time to think about visiting their campuses.
A successful college visit will give you a real sense of what your life might be like if you enrolled thereand whether it matches what you want.;Often, youll know instinctively how you feel about a campus within moments of setting foot on the quad. If you hate it, note the things that really turn you off, so you know what to look for at the next school.
The best time to visit is typically when classes are in session, the college is alive with students, faculty are accessible, and the campus is buzzing with activity. Of course, for many students and their families, summer is a much more convenient time. That’s okay too. Maybe you can make some campus stops on your way to the beach, amusement park, or family reunion. A summer visit is better than no visit at all. Most schools will have special summer visit hours too.
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When Do I Choose A Major
Students typically declare a major when they enroll during their freshman year. That said, undecided or undeclared students typically wait until the end of their sophomore year to choose. Undecided students refer to those who still need to choose a major, while undeclared students know which major they want to pursue but havent officially declared it. For example, an undeclared student may need to meet certain admission requirements before they announce their chosen major. Some schools may require students to choose a major before enrolling.
In short, students may decide on a major as early as their admission application and as late as the end of their sophomore year.
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What Are The Most Popular College Majors
Exploring the most popular majors can give you an idea of what your options are. According to the National Center for Education Statistics , the largest majors include business, the social sciences, psychology, biological and biomedical sciences, and engineering.
Students with business degrees can pursue careers in nearly any industry, and graduates can apply to roles in some of the country’s largest workforces. Business is also a flexible major, allowing learners to combine disciplines such as analytics and marketing to keep things dynamic and exciting.
Healthcare degrees and psychology degrees offer the chance to make a difference by helping others in your community. Both disciplines can also lead to financially rewarding careers, like registered nurse or clinical and counseling psychologist. Psychology majors can also pursue careers in business that rely on maximizing interpersonal relationships, making it a flexible major.
Don’t Know What You Want To Do Yet Don’t Worry Big Decisions Take Time
You can go through all these tips carefully and still find yourself asking, “What do I major in?!” That’s perfectly OK. Take a lot of different classes early on that might help provide some clarity. You can also consider a double major. Find what works for you, even if that means taking extra time to figure it out!
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School Of Environmental Sustainability
From municipal decisions to international treaties, policy plays a key role in sustainability. Effective policies lead to environmental conservation and innovation towards a green economy. In contrast, poorly designed policies exacerbate environmental problems and social inequities by favoring actions that degrade ecosystems and human communities.
Students studying Environmental Policy develop a solid foundational understanding of environmental science, the ability to analyze policies and assess their implications for sustainability, knowledge of the policy-making process and opportunities to influence it, and skills to communicate and collaborate with diverse stakeholders in environmental decision-making. Students have opportunity to engage directly with environmental policy through service-learning, internships, undergraduate research, and/or study abroad.
The BA in environmental policy prepares students for careers in government, not-for-profit organizations, and consulting, or to pursue advanced study in environmental policy, public administration, urban and regional planning, natural resource management, or law
Your Gpa And Sat Dont Tell The Full Admissions Story
Our chancing engine factors in extracurricular activities, demographic, and other holistic details. Well let you know what your chances are at your dream schools and how to improve your chances!
For incoming undergraduate students, choosing a major can be overwhelming. Thats because your field of study will have meaningful consequences for your future life. Choosing the right major can open the door to engaging work that pays a living wage. On the other hand, selecting the wrong major could result in years of unhappiness if the related work is not interesting, takes up too much time, or doesnt pay well.;
It might relieve some of your stress to know the important factors to consider when choosing your major, to be familiar with the most challenging and least challenging undergraduate majors, and to remember that your major choice isnt binding yet. In this helpful guide to choosing your major, we will walk through all of that to help you find a major that suits your needs, interests, and goals.
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What Are You Good At
Understanding your natural skills and talents can go a long way in helping you make an informed and confident decision when choosing a major. It may be your parents’ dream for you to be an artist, but what if you skew more toward business or the sciences? Just because someone else has a degree path in mind doesn’t mean it’s right for you.
One way of determining which academic fields best suit you is to take a close look at your class grades in high school, as well as your ACT or SAT scores. Doing this can highlight your strengths in specific academic areas.
What Do You Want To Do With Your College Major And Degree
- Consider majors related to the field you want to go into
The most obvious thing to consider is what youd like to do after college. If theres a specialized field you want to pursue, or even a specific careerlike social work or engineeringit makes the decision a lot simpler.
As a high school student you dont necessarily need to know exactly what you want to major in., but having a career in mind can guide your search.
Not sure what career youre interested in? No problem you can still narrow down your search for the right college major. ACT offers a free career and major search that matches you to fields based on your personality.
Keep in mind that some professionslike medicine and lawdont have specific majors . Instead, interested students follow a pre-professional track which fulfills certain core requirements.
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Visualize Your Ideal Post
Consider if the field is experiencing growth and if that career can give you the lifestyle that you want. For example, a career may have a high return salary-wise, but if theres no demand in your area , you will likely have to relocate. If its important to you to stay close to your hometown, this career field is probably an unwise choice. On the other hand, if you love to travel, certain careers can offer plenty of opportunities for you to see the world.
Also, while some fields may be very specialized like engineering or pre-med other degree programs offer a greater degree of versatility, like communication and business degrees. With these degrees, its often easier to move to jobs in related career fields.
Attend One Or Two College Fairs
College fairs are often high school students’ first taste of the college admission experience. Theyre big, loud, exciting, and overwhelmingbut theyre a great way to dive into the college search process. If there is a National College Fair in your area, go to it, because there will be lots of schools there. Talk to as many college representatives as possible and ask informed questions. Stop at the schools youve never heard of before. Gather as much literature as your arms can carry, and have fun shopping for a college.
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What If You Don’t Know What You Want To Major In
Don’t be misled by the question. A significant percentage of college applicants have no idea what major they will choose, and the majority of high school students who have chosen a major will actually change their mind before they graduate. Your interviewer knows this, and there is nothing wrong with being honest about your uncertainty.
That said, you don’t want to sound like you have never considered the question. Colleges aren’t eager to admit students who entirely lack direction or academic interests. So, if you are undecided about your major, think about the difference between these two responses:
- I don’t know what I want to major in. While this response may be honest, it’s not helping your interviewer get to know what does interest you. You’ve shut down the question, and you haven’t made a good case for being admitted to the college.
- I haven’t chosen a major yet, but I love working with people. I’m looking forward to taking courses in sociology, psychology, and political science to learn more. Sure, you haven’t chosen a major yet, but your answer shows that you’ve thought about the options and, more importantly, that you’re intellectually curious and looking forward to exploring the possibilities.
Choose An Academic Area First
A list of 200 possibilities can feel overwhelming. Many of today’s majors didn’t exist in the 1970s and ’80s. Whether your child ultimately ends up in astronautics , informatics or viticulture , start by looking at broad areas of interest. Are they an art type or a science student? Choose a broad category first, then delve into the specifics and help them narrow the list.
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The 17 Best College Majors For Finding A Job
College Info , General Education
Trying to figure out what to major in? Then you’re probably curious about what the best college majors are in terms of how much money they can make you and what kinds of jobs you can get with them.
Here, we go over the criteria we used to determine the 17 best degrees to get. After, we cover some quick tips for identifying the best major for you.
The 17 Best College Majors Ranked
After researching several reputable online ranking lists, including those on US News, Forbes, and Business Insider, we’ve come up with a list of the 17 best degrees to get.
We primarily based our rankings on the following criteria:
- How high the major ranked on other “best college majors” lists
- How high the median salaries of jobs in that major/field are
- How high the employment growth rate is for that major/field
All data on median salaries and employment growth rates is from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics , and all the base median salary data comes from PayScale and Glassdoor.
Note that the average employment growth rate for all jobs is currently 7%, so jobs with rates higher than this are growing at a faster-than-average rate.
Now let’s go through each major, one by one, starting with the best of the best.
- Median Salary : $114,600
- Job Outlook : 5%
Computer engineering is our pick for the second-best college major, as it has high potential for a six-figure salary down the road and offers a solid starting salary of $70,000+ for recent grads.
In this major, which combines computer science and electronic engineering, students learn how to design, develop, use, and improve computer hardware and software. Fundamental courses usually include calculus, engineering design, digital computer design, electric circuits, chemistry, computer systems, and physics.
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How To Choose The Right College Major From Day One
After choosing the college you’re going to attend, the next decision is not a minor one it’s a;major;one. Selecting the right college major one that aligns with your interests, abilities, and career goals can help shape your college experience and prepare you for the future. However, if you’re like most people, you might not be 100 percent sure of what you want to major in right away, or you could be having second thoughts about the trajectory you were planning to follow.The good news is that most college programs are designed to let you do some academic exploring before selecting your program of study. Of course, you will have to renounce your undeclared status eventually, and if possible, avoid changing majors late in the game since it can extend your college career. Here are some strategies for making the right choice from the get-go.
Can You Change Your Major
You can absolutely change your major in college.Studies find that most students change majors at least once and many students switch several times. No matter what year youre in, sometimes the major you declare doesnt end up being the right one. If you decide to change your major, make sure the credits you need align with your expected graduation date. Go to your counselor for guidance on picking a new major and setting up your schedule.
Its a big decision, but you know yourself and your interests better than anyone. Remember, when choosing a major, the most important thing is to make sure youre happy and clear about your priorities for your life and career after college.
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Are You More Technical Or Expressive
Whether you operate on an instinctive level or prefer to deal in hard data can affect your career aptitudes. For example, aspiring healthcare professionals with strong technical skills but weak interpersonal skills might not be suited to traditional nursing roles, because nurses often need compassion, emotional stability, and communication skills. Instead, those candidates may find more success as medical scientists or researchers, seeking out medical advancements.
Similarly, a more expressive student interested in a business degree might not see the allure of spreadsheets and profit projections. Rather than choosing a traditional business program with an accounting or finance focus, they should look for business or marketing programs with creative aspects, like graphic design or branding strategy.
The Ultimate College Majors List: 295 Degrees To Consider
When you get to college, you’ll need to pick a majora specific area of study that you’ll specialize in. Your major can have a big impact on what you decide to do for work, as well as, obviously, how you spend your time in school.
In this article, we’ll give a comprehensive college majors list so you can see what options there are. Review this list of majors so you’re well informed on all the different routes you can take as a college student.
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