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Looking at the Pros and Cons |
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Some
would say that choosing a major is the most important part of the
decision process besides choosing a college.
I know many who would say that greater help and advice concerning majors
and careers would have helped them to be more focused, more successful,
and would have saved them more time in the long run.
It’s true, choosing a major is definitely something to think carefully
about. Though some majors are more general and can be used in a number
of different career paths, others are very specific to a particular
field.
Young students are often afraid to pick a major that leads to a specific
career in favor of something that is more general and that can be used
in a number of different fields, but don’t let the fear of going for
something specific put you off. There are pros and cons to both. |
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Career
Paths |
 Choosing
a major that leads to a specific career has a number of good points as
well as bad. One of the good points is that you will have focus – you’ll
be preparing yourself for a specific job once you graduate – so, it
should be clear in your mind what you are studying towards. Having focus
not only means that you have a clear goal in sight throughout your
study, but also all of the classes you choose each semester can be
selected based upon what you need to know to prepare for your career.
You will also be able to research your chosen career and have a good
idea of how much you might earn, what your work hours might be like, and
where the majority of job opportunities lie.
One of the downsides to choosing a major that leads to a specific career
path is that there is a possibility that you will change your mind once
you begin your program, which either means sticking with it or changing
majors. If you make this decision early enough, it shouldn’t add on too
much time to your college education, and some credits can often be
transferred to your new major. However, realizing this later in your
degree program, or even when you get out into the real world and begin
working within your chosen field, means that making changes can be more
difficult.
 Realizing
that your chosen major or job is not what you want anymore is fairly
common and is possible with any major that you choose. Many people today
change careers at various points in their lives, so you are not tied to
one job if it is no longer what you want. But keep in mind that changing
your career path may mean extended education to make you qualified for a
different job. The best advice to follow when considering what you want
to do is to conduct some good research into careers and majors and
consider your own personality and abilities.
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General
Majors |
 Choosing a major that is more general and does not necessarily lead
to one particular career path is another option, and also comes with
its own pros and cons. However, majors with more general
possibilities do not mean that there are no possibilities. In fact,
these majors typically have numerous possibilities; it’s just a case
of deciding where you want to go with it. Sometimes people choose
majors that are more general because they like the sound of the
major and it seems to fit their personality and interests. However,
if you do this, be sure to consider the career opportunities
associated with your chosen major, so that you can still devise a
plan for what you will do when you graduate. One of the common
mistakes involved with taking a major that has numerous career
possibilities is that we don’t consider thoroughly what we will do
with the degree once we complete it, and this can lead to the
revelation that there is nothing we want to do with it once we
graduate. |
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Choosing a Major |
 There are a couple of ways you can go about choosing a major, if you
haven’t already. One way is to search different majors and keep a
list of the ones that interest you, factoring in the skills,
knowledge, and grades you already have along with your personality
and interests. Another way is to research careers first to see what
you think you might want to do when you graduate from college, and
find out what majors can help you prepare for a career in that
field. There is no right or wrong way to go about this, and it is
common for students to be undecided about their career goals and/or
major. One good thing about starting college is that you won’t
necessarily have to choose a major right away. At some schools, you
have until your sophomore year before you absolutely have to
officially pick your major, though it is recommended that you make a
decision as soon as possible. If you do decide to look at majors
first to see what interests you, be sure to then consider what jobs
are available to you through that degree program and make sure they
are jobs that you can live with. You will only be in college for a
short number of years, but you will most likely be working until you
reach retirement age. |
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Searching for Majors and Careers |
Click
here to search for majors on
The Princeton Review.
Click
here to search for careers on The Princeton Review. |
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