Choosing a college major can be difficult. Not everyone has an immediate calling of what they want to do in life. In fact, according to a study by Ohio State University, 43 percent of college students declare themselves undecided, with 20 percent students changing their major at least once. As a general guideline, here are some tips on how to figure out what major to choose.
First of all, try listing out things you are interested in. Spend some time brainstorming and try to name eight things that you like, regardless of their academic importance. It can be anything, from digital art to making computers, as long as it is something you are interested in. Afterward, try to figure out your relative strengths and weaknesses, which can help assess what fields would work best for you and possible areas to improve in.
Calvin La, an MHS alumnus who is currently attending USC, found his major after looking into his interests and hobbies. In a Zoom interview, La said that he became passionate about business once he started to resell sneakers and clothes online. La added that he also was quite passionate about photography, which led him to love USC, which has the major of Business Cinematic Arts, allowing him to complete coursework at the Marshall School of Business and the School of Cinematic Arts.
Next, after gauging some of your interests, try looking at information into the possible jobs of careers of certain majors. One easy step is to search on YouTube for the experiences of the jobs and careers you are interested in and consider if those are working conditions you would like. You can also look into certain books that show the salary and prerequisites for careers, such as Careers: The Graphic Guide to Planning Your Future. If you have the chance, try meeting and talking with professionals in real life, which can be done at career fairs that are both in-person and online. Talk to your counselor if you want more information on local connections with previous alumni.
If you still can not decide on a major, take a career test. Although these quizzes are not perfect in assessing your competency in the field that comes out or if you are a perfect fit, they can be great as a starting point if there is nothing that you can immediately think of as a hobby or interest. After taking these tests, try doing your own due diligence and see if the given careers are something that you want to pursue in the future.
Ultimately, choosing a college major can be difficult, but there are many resources out there to help determine what you want to do. Even if you can not choose now, you still will have many opportunities in the future to change your major in the future if a certain field does not work out.