Caleb
How do I pick my major?
I am having trouble narrowing down what major to go into.
#college
2 answers
Leonard A. Golub
Leonard A.’s Answer
Thanks for your excellent question. It's a simple question about a decision that seems very challenging. I think that there are several considerations as you contemplate your major. First and foremost, you should consider your interests. What fascinates you. What you are good at and like. What you are passionate about. Next, I believe students should layer in a practical element. What will I do once I major in xyz and what potential career path might I follow. A blend of both the passionate and practical can be exciting and rewarding. My son is passionate about Latin and the Classics. He is fully invested in his studies in this arena. But, he is not that interested in a career in this space. He is also passionate about economics, mathematics and finance. Thus, he is pursing both - double majoring in Economics and Latin. Finally, I think the criticality of selecting a major is, perhaps, a bit overrated. A strong liberal arts education will serve you well in many many career paths. Diversity of thought, studies and focus is attractive to many employers. It adds perspective and varied viewpoints to an organization.
Best of luck in your decision.
Lindsey Manning-Djabbari
Lindsey’s Answer
Great question Caleb. I'm sorry it hasn't been answered yet! In the meantime, I thought I'd share a few links to other relevant Q&A on CareerVillage.org that should be super helpful to read through.
If you don't know what career to pursue how do you pick a major?
How do I know what major to choose?
What can make picking a major easier?
What was most helpful in helping you choose a career path?
I also wanted to chime in with some advice of my own! :)
I recommend working backwards. Before spending too much time on figuring out where to go to college and what major(s) to pursue, figure out what job and career path are most exciting to you. Once you have a better understanding of what your dream job is, then speak with people doing that job(s) and ask them how they got to where they are. What college(s) did they go to? What was their major? What work experience did they have on their resume prior to getting their first job out of college? etc.
So.. it begs the question "how DO I figure out what my dream job is?" which is easier to ask than it is to answer:)
One way of doing it is by reading job descriptions of roles within the departments that align with your passions and/or what you're good at, and find ones that excite you. Set yourself aside for a few minutes, and pick 10 companies you LOVE, whether it be because it's a brand of clothing you wear all the time, or a car company you think is awesome, or a nonprofit you admire, or even a movie production company you think is pretty cool. You'd be surprised how many jobs these companies need people to do to stay afloat and be successful! Jobs you've never even heard of before. Once you have your list visit their website, find the "careers" section, and start reading job descriptions until one makes you think "that sounds cool, I'd be good at that!".
Once you have the careers/job titles that excited you, come back here and ask questions about how people who do those jobs or ones similar got to where they are.
Work backwards and you may find it much easier to get the insight and information you need to make decisions about making the most out of your time in college! life-advice
Lastly- I know it may sound cliche but when you end up doing a job you love the likelihood of you making a good living off of it is high. Throughout my own career it's been very clear that the more I work towards doing things I genuinely enjoy doing the more and more money I make. In other words, I don't think you need to choose between money and passion, quite the opposite. Choose what you love and I promise you will figure out how to make a good living off of it- if not while IN school, then shortly afterwards as you gain work experience in that field.