Which major should I choose?
I'm going to be applying to college next year, and for many colleges you need to specify which major you are applying as. However, I'm not sure what I want to be doing, since it's something I may be doing for the rest of my life. I'm interested in psychology and volunteering, but I don't know if those are fields that I want to pursue. Should I choose something that may help me get a job in the future, or should I choose something that I like to do? #college #computer-software #career #psychology #college-major #computer #career-counseling #volunteering
4 answers
Debbie’s Answer
Choose something you think you will like to do. If you aren't sure what you want to do go to community college to work on basic freshman and sophomore classes. This way you are moving forward in an affordable way while living a little more life that will help you decide what you want to be. You can also look for part-time work in various industries to see what they are like. Explore technical vocations too.
Henry’s Answer
I believe Debbie has it right here. Going to community college to work on your core classes that will be needed for any major is a great way to keep the momentum you have coming out of high school while also giving you more time to figure out what path you want to take. In the meantime, you could try an elective or two at the community college that are in the fields you're currently interested in and see where that goes. I'd recommend also doing the same for anything you find interesting.
This is the best time to try out things that catch your eye because you might end up loving something that you haven't even thought of yet. Finding that in your first two years, with a more reasonable tuition, can set you up for success for the rest of the college career.
Scott D.’s Answer
Talk to your school counselor. They have interest surveys that you can take and you might get a better idea of what you might want to do long term. The internet is also full of information on any career that you might be interested in. Do some research on what level of education you need for jobs you are interested in as well as what people in this field really do. You also can find job satisfaction surveys and you can see what percentage of people working in that field actually like what they are doing. Some jobs in psychology, such as a clinical psychologist, require a lot of education. This is a big commitment with both your time and your finances.
The good thing about declaring a major is that you are generally not stuck with it. I changed my major 3 times when I was an undergraduate. If you take a couple of introductory classes in the field and decide that you really don't like it, generally you can change your major and use the classes you took as electives for a different major. This does require that you get good enough grades so that the other department is willing to accept you.
Rachel’s Answer
<span style="background-color: transparent;">Collegeboard.org is a great resource for this! I poured through the pages of universities all over the U.S. when I was a senior in high school. Collegeboard was my go-to site! They put all of the information in one place and it is very easy to use. They even have various filters you can apply to see only colleges that have programs you are interested. To determine academic rigor, look at the admissions requirements, G.P.A. of past admitted applicants, SAT/ACT scores, class rank etc. This will give you an idea of what scores and grades you need to be accepted. However, don't be discouraged your application will be reviewed based on the full picture! College-board will help you get an idea of what is most important to the specific school you are applying to.</span>
This professional recommends the following next steps:
- <span style="background-color: transparent;">Chat with your Guidance Counselor</span>
- <span style="background-color: transparent;">Create a Collegeboard.org account</span>
- <span style="background-color: transparent;">Start using CollegeBoard as a resource to look up schools.</span>
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