How to Choose the Right Major

Oftentimes students find themselves perplexed as to which major they should choose to apply to college. Arguably one of the most important decisions a student makes in college career, their choice in major can either significantly influence their course of action or have no significance at all. Along this journey, a student can only hope to make their time in college worthwhile. 

Discovering Your Passion

No matter the major, it is imperative that students discover their passion, something they are truly enthusiastic about pursuing. This could mean anything from realizing an interest in business marketing after working part-time at Trader Joe’s. Perhaps engaging with a museum’s exhibits makes a student realize the joy in creating interactive exhibits and a passion for teaching. Or maybe a trip to the doctor makes a student realize the importance of bedside manner and a passion for creating a streamline healthcare policy for underserved populations. No matter the initial activity, whether it be inside or outside the classroom, we strongly recommend students to work towards pursuing that passion early on. 

Here’s a quick questionnaire to discover your passion:

1. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
2. What do you enjoy doing and learning about?
3. Where do you envision yourself in the near future? 5 years from now? 10 years from now?
4. Is there an occupation, a company, or a space for you to do that?
5. What are actionable steps you can take to get there?

Choosing Extracurriculars

A typical course of action would be to engage in a diverse set of activities that truly allow the student to understand their likes, dislikes, and hopes. From there, the student could spend the majority of their free time genuinely pursuing that passion. We recommend that students choose several inside and outside the classroom activities to pursue, whether they be at the college level or high school level. We also stress that there isn’t an exact time frame students need to complete these by. Some students started clubs in middle school and expanded them to become official non-profit organizations in high school. Others joined a club a few months into senior year. Regardless, students would have ideally joined them because they are passionate about the work. It would be even more ideal if they established or joined a few extracurriculars and perhaps take on a leading role in one or a few of them. 

Exploring Your College Options 

Students generally fall into one of two categories: the student that knows exactly what they want to become in the future and the student that is open to many options. 

For students that know exactly what they want to achieve in college, perusing different majors a college has to offer is key to choosing the one that best suits their goals. First, we recommend students check to see if their ideal college has their intended major. Stanford University for instance, although has a sterling reputation, does not have an undergraduate major in finance and accounting. If your ideal school does not offer your intended major, you might want to consider choosing a different school, one that truly embodies your interests, or consider choosing a different major altogether. We highly recommend spending the time to truly explore the college’s programs and resources and seeing if they align with your passions. 

For students that are open to a range of options, they may want to opt for undecided and declare their major once enrolled. This is especially true for students who have extracurricular activities that don’t necessarily line up with their ultimate goal. 

Key Takeaways

• Find your passion–that will help you choose an ideal major 
• Line up your extracurriculars with your intended major 
• Research the majors on your college list and make sure you find a college that best suits your goals