Jake PopistIt’s no secret that college students are often indecisive about their future. After all, an estimated 75% of students will change their major before graduation and about 25% attend college undecided about their major. Still, picking the right field of study is a big decision, and it’s something that worries many new students. With all that in mind, today we’ll explain how college students can tackle this issue and choose the perfect major for their situation:
Keep Your Options Open
As mentioned above, many college students arrive at university without a solid idea of what they want to study. Contrary to popular belief, though, this is not a big problem. It’s perfectly acceptable to take general education courses as a freshman while you explore a number of different options. Since every student will have to take basic math, English, science, (etc.) classes at some point, knocking them out early will keep you on track for graduation in four years even if you don’t declare for a major until the summer.
Join a Club
Joining a club, fraternity, sorority, group, or organization on campus will help you get acquainted with other students and faculty at your university. Doing so won’t just allow you to develop your social life, though, but will also let you to make connections with a number of people studying different subjects. Rubbing shoulders with people who have various interests and engaging in extracurricular activities will help you determine what topics resonate most with you. Also, getting a job on campus is another great way to meet new people and prepare for life after college!
Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
You never know if you’re going to like something until you try it. As such, it behooves new college students to sample a variety of classes in their first year or so to determine what courses they enjoy and which ones they find boring. Remember, the only way you can truly develop is to get out of your comfort zone and try new things.
Stop Thinking About the Future
It may sound odd to advise college students to disregard their future prospects when choosing a major, but picking an area of study based solely on the idea that it could help you gain employment in five or ten years is a flawed one. The reality is, what you accomplish with your major is much more important than choosing a business-related degree over a degree in liberal arts, for instance. Instead of worrying about what your life will be like after college, focus on the here and now.
Do What You Love
Cliched as it may sound, following your passion is never a bad idea. Whether you delight in working with lab equipment like Cellmaster culture roller bottles, or you love reading Renaissance literature, attending college gives you the opportunity to pursue your dreams. It doesn’t make any sense to study for a career you won’t enjoy. Money comes and money goes, but the experiences you have in college will have a big impact on your life moving forward.
Jake Popist
