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how do I know what major to pick for college and pls don't tell me to pick what I'm interested in , if i knew that i wouldn't be here.
#college #anxiety
10 answers
Updated
Peter’s Answer
I would recommend that you look at what you good at or have good instinct of . If you're good with math, the engineering and business would be good. If you're good with personal skill, the social media and human resource would be good. if you're good with writing, then literary and communication are good. Bear in mind, the 4 years college is a stepping stone, it rounds you up with various skill but not define where you can be. I know someone who is a music major in college that pursue a computer science master degree, this should give you clues that things are not lock down even after you graduate from college.
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Taylor’s Answer
Hello!
Honestly, I empathize so much with this question. I went into college undecided and it was the BEST decision I ever made. I was leaning towards a Business degree and now know that I would have been absolutely miserable as a Business Major. As long as you are smart about it, you will not be far behind with classes at all, since most of your first year can be spent knocking out general education requirements.
No class you ever take will be wasted. At the very least you will learn something new. What helped me was just signing up for classes I was interested in. Eventually, many of these classes led me to choosing my major in English as well as finding my minors in Spanish and Legal Studies. There is so much pressure put on your major, but you can supplement that knowledge with minors, student activities, etc. At the end of the day, your major is not what matters, but how you use it to market yourself.
My advice - Study the First Year Gen Ed requirements, Sign up for classes that knock out some of these requirements AND that make you really excited about learning :)
Honestly, I empathize so much with this question. I went into college undecided and it was the BEST decision I ever made. I was leaning towards a Business degree and now know that I would have been absolutely miserable as a Business Major. As long as you are smart about it, you will not be far behind with classes at all, since most of your first year can be spent knocking out general education requirements.
No class you ever take will be wasted. At the very least you will learn something new. What helped me was just signing up for classes I was interested in. Eventually, many of these classes led me to choosing my major in English as well as finding my minors in Spanish and Legal Studies. There is so much pressure put on your major, but you can supplement that knowledge with minors, student activities, etc. At the end of the day, your major is not what matters, but how you use it to market yourself.
My advice - Study the First Year Gen Ed requirements, Sign up for classes that knock out some of these requirements AND that make you really excited about learning :)
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Simeon’s Answer
In general, I would recommend researching which fields are growing quickly these days. If you're drawing a blank on what you'd like to do, see if any of the fast growing fields call out to you. This will give you a lot more structure than trying to get a vague sense of your passions and trying to brainstorm a way to turn it into money. Most people don't have a passion that they are aware of right away. Also, passions tend to change from season to season. Lastly, look at videos on YouTube of people in their careers talking about what they love and hate. See if any of their descriptions sound like a good fit for you. It's just as important to figure out if you can deal with the downsides of a job as it is to figure out what you'd love about a job.
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Brett’s Answer
I don't think there is a right or wrong answer to picking a major. You need to take some classes find out what you have both aptitude and interest in and then as you progress you will hopefully find the right path. I started with one major and changed it several times and wound up with a BA in a field I didn't even know existed when I was a sophomore, a minor in my initial major and 3 credits shy of another minor in something I truly find interesting...then I decided that none of these were the right career path for me at the time so I went to another college and got a completely different degree there. Which set me on a career path very different than what I had envisioned when I started college. Don't stress your "pick" stress learning and finding a path. To finish the story -- 6 years after graduating with my second degree and getting a job directly related to it -- I wound up interviewing and getting a job, which still somewhat related to my second degree better correlated what I had studied while getting my first degree. Finally -- getting a degree is a process -- you learn a lot about yourself in college and it shows that you have potential to learn. Lots of people get degrees with a career in mind and then wind up doing something that has nothing to do with that degree.
Talk to teachers have them help you see your strengths -- maybe even those that don't correlate to grades as those don't always match exactly.
List hobbies and interests -- these are good places to start looking at possible career options.
Brett recommends the following next steps:
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N’s Answer
You don't necessarily have to go to college with an answer. When I graduated from high school, I had no idea what I wanted to do. As a matter of fact, my parents chose a major for me (Industrial Engineering), based on my grades and what I seemed to be good at and I just went for it, because I had nothing else in mind. After one year in college, being in the types of classes an engineer would need to take, and having an "Intro to Industrial Engineering" class, helped me understand that it wasn't for me. So thankfully, if you decide to go to college and come in as "undecided" that first year, you can use that year to figure out what classes you like best, and what other you do not. You can then go ahead and sit with the university advisor and discuss options . You can transfer your first year's credits to become your electives for example, if you decide to change majors, that way the first year does not go to waste, and you can then focus on the new major you decide to pursue. I also suggest using that first year to meet as many people and discuss their majors, what types of classes those are, what that would involve, and then you never know, you may find your perfect match just based on one conversation with one person :)
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Shaeleigh’s Answer
This is actually more common than you might think! Many students go into college not knowing what to do. the best advice is to go in as undecided and take multiple classes in different areas so you can see what you like best. The undecided route allows you to take courses without delaying your degree.
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Juliana’s Answer
Hi Aanya!
When it comes to college, picking a major can be very intimidating, especially if you’re not exactly sure what you’re interested in. My first advice would be to look at your options and see what pokes out at you the most. With this, also look at some of your hobbies or favorite subjects in school and see what degrees you could potentially get with that! Even though you could pick any major, you should also make sure you’re ready for that. If you’re still unsure by the time it comes to decide, you can always take a year off of school or go in undecided - it all depends on what fits you best! I hope this helps!!
When it comes to college, picking a major can be very intimidating, especially if you’re not exactly sure what you’re interested in. My first advice would be to look at your options and see what pokes out at you the most. With this, also look at some of your hobbies or favorite subjects in school and see what degrees you could potentially get with that! Even though you could pick any major, you should also make sure you’re ready for that. If you’re still unsure by the time it comes to decide, you can always take a year off of school or go in undecided - it all depends on what fits you best! I hope this helps!!
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Sarah’s Answer
Take a few courses and until you find something you're passionate about. Lots of students go in undecided and take a course that ends up interesting them and creates a career path. Don't feel pressured to decide on day one!
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Cindy’s Answer
I struggled with this myself when I was young. Consider a business administration degree, maybe this is general enough for you and can be used in many different industries. That will give you a glimpse to some classes that could be of interest to you and if you find that you're bored or not interested, after exploring your options this experience might peak something further that you'd prefer trying. I began wanting to be accountant, after the first year I knew this wasn't for me. This indecision is normal. What you don't want to happen is that the indecision prevents you from applying to higher level schooling. Starting college is one of the best steps forward you can make in your career, I recommend you don't delay. My other recommendation is for you to ask your teachers if they have advice based upon what you excel at during school and ask friends. Based upon what your friends know about you, their advice could have you looking in different directions.
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Yasemin’s Answer
Hi Aanya! In addition to all the answers provided here, going in undecided is completely fine! Sometimes you might like a club or meet someone who will give you a good inspiration as to interests. General education classes that you are required to take as an undergrad (at least in U.S. colleges) give a good overview of different areas and even as someone who was a decided major I really liked a couple of them. Meet with your adviser, and go to job fair events on campus too, they usually give some advice and direction as well! You have 2 years to decide a major so no worries- however a lot of individuals who are undecided do go the community college (CC) route and that's helpful too! CC saves money while you complete general education classes, therefore if you do that option you will get your Associate's then transfer the credits to a 4 year college and stay there for 2 years. Just an option to consider!
Hope this helps!
Best of luck!
Hope this helps!
Best of luck!
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