Selecting a major is a significant aspect of the college journey as it determines a more constrained range of career paths for you to pursue. Considering all the advice you may get from your friends and family, picking your path in college could seem easy. But it’s not how it actually is. It takes time to make the right decision.
Students are usually in a rush during their sophomore year when the academic pressure is often the highest. Some use WriteMy to get rid of routine tasks and take more time to research their prospective major. Others just make a random career choice, forgetting that it has a huge impact on their lives.
But are there things no one usually talks about? Check out these points that could open your eyes to choosing a major and think twice.
Pick a Promising Field
In the fast-changing world, you must think of the future when choosing your career. Some professions can become obsolete by the time you graduate. Some of the technical jobs, such as data analysis, could be mostly done by AI in the future.
Choose what piques your interest but also can provide high value to society. It’s better to major in something that will guarantee job security for at least several years after graduation.
It’s Not Always About Finding Your Passion
The number one thing no one usually tells you is that your major doesn’t always have to be your biggest passion. Moreover, don’t expect to find the field you are passionate about right away.
Being unsure about what you enjoy doing happens more often than you think. And it’s completely fine because until you try it out, it’s hard to predict.
Another thing is that when you start making progress and learning more and more information, you will start enjoying it. When you put effort into your specialization, you actually become good at it. What you need to do is to evolve your skills and become proficient in a certain field.
Once you get the hang of the chosen major, you’ll become more confident and will overcome the related challenges easily. After a certain time, when you start feeling good about your skills and competitiveness in the market, there is a high chance of you becoming passionate about it.
Double Major Isn’t Necessarily an Advantage
Many students go to college with the misconception that choosing a double major will increase their chances of getting hired. Most of them just go for random second majors just so they can boast a more impressive resume.
But this scenario will only be beneficial when you combine majors that are not too distinct from each other or when you have an effective plan on how to make it work. However, the problem with a double major is that students lose their time and focus in pursuit of extra academic credentials. This way, you risk showing poor academic outcomes, experiencing disappointment, and dealing with much stress as a result.
If you are unsure whether you can handle the pressure but still want to stand out without getting a second major, there is an alternative. You can engage in extracurricular activities that often can be as valuable as the second specialization.
These are the features that will definitely impress your future employer. They will also show how dedicated and versatile you are:
- Having some work experience. No skillset can beat hands-on experience, so don’t hesitate to apply your knowledge in practice. You can always take part-time jobs or internships during breaks from studying to gain relevant experience before graduation.
- Volunteering as a student. Volunteering is another solid opportunity to practice your skills or gain extra knowledge. Enrolling in programs that help make a positive impact on the world, or even the local community, will also show your willingness to cooperate and work in a team.
- Networking online or in person. Making connections is far more important than just studying alone in your room, hoping to get a good job out of the blue. Someone can offer you a job as a friend. Another person can help you improve your resume. Sign up on LinkedIn and start connecting with people who’ve majored in the same field and have already kickstarted their careers. Or start visiting work fares, building that real-life formal communication experience.
Conclusion
Picking a major is an important step in your life, and you might encounter various opinions on how to do it right. Yet, don’t rely on people’s advice blindly: take your time and think logically.
It’s impossible to predict 100% whether your major will become a dream or turn into a nightmare. But you might avoid a lot of problems if you roll your sleeves up and research the non-obvious pros and cons before making the decision. So, do your best, and good luck picking the perfect major!
