You’re reading 8 Ideas to Help You Choose a College Major, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
Choosing your college major is the biggest decision when you first start your college career. Some students start off being undecided and take a few classes before settling on a particular subject. Over time, they will need to figure out what kind of major they want to focus on and what career they want to pursue. Here are eight things to think about before you settle down on your college major.
1. Your Passion
If you do what you love for your career, then you’ll be more fulfilled during your life. It may be a good idea to choose your passion as your major. Eventually, as you make your way through your major and learn more about a topic you love, you will find career options. Some people believe if you choose your passion as a career, the money will soon follow. That may be true in some situations, but if your passion is not giving you any potential career options, you may have to change majors or switch your career goals.
2. Job Market Opportunities
Next, it’s important to consider the job market for now and for the future. In the next decade or so, experts believe the job market will change with a focus more on highly technical jobs. Certain professions and careers may start to become obsolete. If your major is in a traditional field that is shrinking, you may need to switch to something that is more aligned with the digital world of the 21st century. Fields in computers, engineering, medicine, and education are expected to grow in the future.
3. Quality of Life
You should also think about your future quality of life before focusing on one particular subject for your major. Demanding majors like pre-med, veterinary science, and pre-law could give you access to a high powered career one day, but they will require you to put in many more years of study beyond your undergraduate degree. You’ll also need to put many hours of working long days into your career, which could be detrimental to time with your family and your quality of life.
4. Potential for Happiness
Happiness is another big part of choosing a major and potential career field. You may want to check out some statistics about the jobs with the highest happiness factor. While some may not pay as much as other jobs, many of these careers could you give that ultimate satisfaction many people seek in their profession.
5. Advancement Ideas
Choosing a major or a career field that doesn’t offer a lot of advancement opportunity could be a problem. Advancement is something to think about as you picture your career over a long period of time. Some majors only offer workers a steady job without any potential to supervise others or move up through a company. If you want to have more responsibility and be a leader in your profession, this is something to think about before picking a program.
6. Your Personality
You should also take your personality into consideration before selecting your career and program of study. If you are an outgoing person, it may make sense for you to go into sales or human resources. For quieter people, solitary careers such as programmers or writers may be more fitting. Don’t try to force yourself into a program that doesn’t fit your natural tendencies.
7. Salary Potential
Making a high salary is another factor that students should consider before choosing their program. Sure, money isn’t the only thing that matters, but it makes life much more enjoyable if you are able to afford the things you need and want. Additionally, you can feel more confident that all of your hard work and studying will result in a great reward someday if you choose a career with high earning potential.
8. Overall Cost
Finally, the last thing you should think about before choosing your major is the cost you will pay to earn your degree. Some programs only require two years of college, while others may have students going beyond the average four years of university studies. You need to make sure your program’s cost is worth it in the end.
Picking your college major is one of the most important life decisions you will make. Take all of these factors into consideration before you enter a program. Better yet, choose your major before you select a school so you can be sure your school is equipped to handle your educational goals.
You’ve read 8 Ideas to Help You Choose a College Major, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
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