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What should I do if I plan to go to college but I'm not sure what I want to major in?
I'm a Junior in high school and I'm not really sure what I want to do in the future, I get exceptional grades however I've never been interested in any particular subject so far and I'm unsure about what I want to major in college. Any advice? #college #college-major #college-advice
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Dan Wolf
Retired Electrical/Software Engineer and part-time College Professor (BSEET and MS Engineering Management)
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Dan’s Answer
I was an academic advisor at a local community college and we had counselors who specialized in career advisement. They start by asking your interests, then provide explanations and finish by suggesting options - ultimately they help you select classes. So I suggest:
1) Contact your local community college and ask for an (on-site) appointment with one of the Career Advisors (sometimes referred to as Academic Counselor or Academic Advisor). The bigger colleges should also be able to do this but I think the community colleges are more likely to provide a better service in this area (my opinion).
2) Tell the counselor that you are considering taking classes when you graduate and are starting to select a college degree. Tell him/her that you are uncertain about a degree and ask if they would explain options.
3) If you are not certain or identify multiple options, you can usually start your freshman year with classes common to multiple degrees, thus allowing you to get familiar with them before making your final decision. Almost every degree requires college-level English, math, a science, and at least one humanities and social science so these can always be taken in your first year - plus slipping in classes specific to your interests.
Again, discuss this strategy with the college academic advisor and ask him/her to help you build a specific class plan for the first year.
1) Contact your local community college and ask for an (on-site) appointment with one of the Career Advisors (sometimes referred to as Academic Counselor or Academic Advisor). The bigger colleges should also be able to do this but I think the community colleges are more likely to provide a better service in this area (my opinion).
2) Tell the counselor that you are considering taking classes when you graduate and are starting to select a college degree. Tell him/her that you are uncertain about a degree and ask if they would explain options.
3) If you are not certain or identify multiple options, you can usually start your freshman year with classes common to multiple degrees, thus allowing you to get familiar with them before making your final decision. Almost every degree requires college-level English, math, a science, and at least one humanities and social science so these can always be taken in your first year - plus slipping in classes specific to your interests.
Again, discuss this strategy with the college academic advisor and ask him/her to help you build a specific class plan for the first year.
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Wendy’s Answer
Hi Hussein. Congratulations on choosing to go to college, that is a great first step. There are many like you in that they don't really know what they want to do for their career while they are in high school. There are also many that choose a major, get to college, discover something else they really love, and switch their major. Francisco has given some great advice, and if you start with majoring in something you are interested in and then find something else that you really want to have as your path forward, switch your major, that is actually pretty normal and many of the classes in the first two years apply to many different fields and majors. The college counselors will help you with that as well. The point is to get started and then make adjustments along the way if you need, while still moving forward.
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Anh’s Answer
Congrats on getting good grades! Now match those grades to your interests and subjects that you have natural talents in. The keyword here is natural talents.
For example, I had good grades in Bio, Math, Physics, and History. But I was always more interested in electronics than in medicine or social science. I was naturally curious about how machines work, and was good at repairing them. So I went into Engineering.
A good friend liked making money, and was naturally good at sales. He's a people-person and loves to talk. But he went into computer science because that was the trend. All the kids played video games and wanted to go into that industry. He took a programming class in college and realized that he hated staying up late in the school lab debugging code. He changed his major to business and loved it.
The point is... aligning your career w/ your interest is only part of the equation. You have to align it w/ your natural abilities as well.
Most, if not all, high schools have Career Day. You can talk w/ the presenters and ask about the projects they work on. Many companies host a Career Day or Job Shadow Day. They'll take students around and showcase their work environment, products, and services. Get in contact w/ your school clubs, career advisors, and teachers to find out more about these programs.
Good luck!
Contact school advisor
Talk to the teachers who gave you your best grades. Ask them about their career and related careers.
Sign up for school Career Day
Perform a self-assessment and list your strengths and interests.
For example, I had good grades in Bio, Math, Physics, and History. But I was always more interested in electronics than in medicine or social science. I was naturally curious about how machines work, and was good at repairing them. So I went into Engineering.
A good friend liked making money, and was naturally good at sales. He's a people-person and loves to talk. But he went into computer science because that was the trend. All the kids played video games and wanted to go into that industry. He took a programming class in college and realized that he hated staying up late in the school lab debugging code. He changed his major to business and loved it.
The point is... aligning your career w/ your interest is only part of the equation. You have to align it w/ your natural abilities as well.
Most, if not all, high schools have Career Day. You can talk w/ the presenters and ask about the projects they work on. Many companies host a Career Day or Job Shadow Day. They'll take students around and showcase their work environment, products, and services. Get in contact w/ your school clubs, career advisors, and teachers to find out more about these programs.
Good luck!
Anh recommends the following next steps:
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Stuart’s Answer
I agree with what the answers - be patient. Most students have no idea what they want to do before entering college. A lot think they do by the end of their sophomore year, but there are also a lot that change majors multiple times during their college career. Take a lot of different gen ed classes. Explore and keep an open mind. Since you are unsure of a major, I would suggest not selecting an overly expensive university for undergrad work. When you decide on a definite major, if you university doesn't have it as a major, you can transfer. No decision is final. Good luck
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Matt’s Answer
Don't rush it, whatever you do. You are a junior in high school, and the important studies that factor into your degree rarely take place before 2nd semester sophomore year in college. You may have an inkling of a general field, but I would try to choose a college that can provide good education in several considered fields. In your freshman/sophomore years, take advantage of your electives, and in the summer breaks, try to find summer employment around those fields. That will give you the best advice you can get, which is your own personal reaction to the experience.
Heather Hudson
Technology & Intercompany contract negotiation
5
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Heather’s Answer
You're in a great position for whatever the future holds, although I can imagine it's frustrating to feel like you don't have a clear sense of direction yet. Starting with a general liberal arts education for your first 2 years in college can be a good tactic, where you'll be exposed to lots of different areas of study (and being in college, you'll meet different kinds of people, too). Just having a college degree will open doors for you across many different industries - so it's totally okay to be undecided. Keep on keeping on, and see what the world has in store for you.
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Francisco’s Answer
Hi Hussein!
A lot of students struggle to select a major, especially if maybe they don't have classes or disciplines they prefer. Another way to approach it is look into careers that are related to your hobbies, extracurriculars, groups you are part of, etc. As an exceptional student, you have a lot of potential for different fields, so why not pick something you can really enjoy and be passionate about. Anything can be a career so just dig through the things you actually care about or things that really interest you, and research careers that are closely related to that.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
A lot of students struggle to select a major, especially if maybe they don't have classes or disciplines they prefer. Another way to approach it is look into careers that are related to your hobbies, extracurriculars, groups you are part of, etc. As an exceptional student, you have a lot of potential for different fields, so why not pick something you can really enjoy and be passionate about. Anything can be a career so just dig through the things you actually care about or things that really interest you, and research careers that are closely related to that.
Hope this helps. Good luck!