Quiz: Are You Choosing the Right Major?

It’s summer: time to unwind, make some money, have fun with friends, snag a summer fling, catch up on some easy reading and… decide on a college major? It may not be at the top of your summer to-do list, but choosing a major is pretty important. And what better time to do it than the summer, when you have time to reflect and figure out how you want to spend the rest of your college years and the years that follow?

Whether you’re about to enter your freshman year or you’re a junior who still hasn’t decided what to major in or is thinking of switching, I promise, there’s still time to make a decision. And you shouldn’t be freaking out about it if you haven’t figured it all out yet. Believe it or not, deciding on a major can actually be fun! Don’t believe me? Take the following quiz and your results will help you map out the road to your future!

1. On a Saturday afternoon, you’d prefer to: 
A. Browse Craigslist for some great deals
B. Take pictures or film a short movie
C. Babysit
D. Volunteer at the hospital
E. Create a website
F. Read the newspaper

2. In high school, your favorite subject was:
A. Math
B. English
C. Family and Consumer Science
D. Biology
E. Computer programming
F. History

3. Your favorite TV show is:
A. The Apprentice
B. The Soup
C. The Nanny
D. Grey’s Anatomy
E. American Inventor
F. C-SPAN

4. Your dream job would be:
A. An entrepreneur
B. A filmmaker or screenwriter
C. A teacher
D. A surgeon
E. A software developer
F. A politician

5. Your ideal work environment would be:
A. An office with a boardroom.
B. An office fully-equipped with the latest editing software.
C. A classroom.
D. An operating room.
E. Anywhere with WiFi.
F. A press conference.

6. You prefer to be tested:
A. With multiple choice, no essays. You like definitive answers.
B. With a project. You aren’t a great test-taker.
C. With different types of exercises: Multiple choice, true and false, essays, short answer, fill in the blank. You like it all.
D. With an experiment. You’re really into problem-solving.
E. With something where you can show off your technological skills- like a website or a Flash project
F. With short answer. You’re great at memorization.

7. Your high school extracurriculars included:
A. FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America)
B. Yearbook and the school newspaper
C. Best Buddies or a similar organization
D. TSA (Technology Student Association)
E. After school pottery class.
F. Model UN.

8. Your strengths include:
A. You’re independent and determined.
B. You’re good at communicating through any medium.
C. You’re patient.
D. You pay attention to details and you’re disciplined.
E. You’re tech-savvy and great with graphics.
F. You’re smart and you’re a people person.

9. You are intrigued by:
A. The challenge of making money.
B. The power of the Internet.
C. The feelings of others.
D. Medical breakthroughs.
E. Inventions.
F. Events in history.

10. Adjectives that describe your ideal job include:
A. Demanding, but rewarding.
B. Exciting but time-consuming.
C. Challenging but enlightening.
D. Brain-racking and thrilling.
E. Creative and solitary. 
F. Life-changing (other lives, as well as your own).

If you chose:

Mostly A’s: Look out, Brett Michaels. There’s another new entrepreneur on the business prowl! You’re independent, confident, savvy, fearless and you know your stuff. You’re one hundred percent confident that you could rule the boardroom, the break room, your cubicle and every other room in the office. In fact, you’re sure you could turn the business world upside down someday. Couple that confidence with extensive knowledge of the field of business you want to pursue, and you’ll give every CEO a run for his money!

Majors to consider: Marketing, International Business, Management Information Systems, Real Estate, Economics, Accounting

Mostly B’s: You’re always in-tune with the latest news, gossip, books and music. What’s hot right now? You are- because you are in the know! Communications would be a great major for you. Communications is an extremely large field and you can go in many different directions with a degree in Communications. You can major in journalism, cinema, public relations, screenwriting or even photography! We all know that most publications are making their way onto the Internet. Pretty soon, everyone will be getting their news online- through videos, social media, Twitter updates, etc. If you’ve already hopped on that bandwagon and you feel comfortable navigating the World Wide Web, then Communications is the field for you.

Majors to consider: Journalism, Film, Public Relations, Advertising, Graphic Design, Radio/Broadcast Journalism

Mostly C’s: You’re great with kids, you’re patient and teaching comes naturally to you. That’s a rare combination- better take advantage of that personality that you’ve got! It seems that a career in Education would be your best bet. Most education majors end up in a classroom, but you can take it in a few different directions if you want to. You can get your degree in elementary or secondary education. You can focus on special education. You can also go on to pursue a specific subject to teach. If you had a favorite subject in school and think you’d be great at teaching it, then go for it. Make a life and a living out of what you love to do- and teach others to love it too!

Majors to consider: Speech and Language Development, Special Education, Early Childhood Education, Occupational Therapy, Human Development and Family Studies, School Advising

Mostly D’s: What’s up, doc? If you gaze longingly into the television screen while you watch Grey’s Anatomy (and not because Dr. McDreamy is so dreamy) then a career in medicine is for you. If you loved dissecting frogs in anatomy in high school, you chose the right letter, sister. If you think that science rules, then you also chose the right letter. You’re totally fascinated by how things work and why they work. You’re obsessed with mixing things together and creating something new. You look at the world as a constant problem to solve. You’ve passionately followed the aftermath of the oil spill in the Gulf, and you’re mesmerized by the idea of global warming and whether it’s fact or fiction. Each day brings new questions for you to answer, and you love it! Well, get solving with a degree in science!

Majors to consider: Nursing, Dietetics, Dental Hygiene, Biology, Physical Therapy, Engineering, Pharmacy

Mostly E’s: You’re a computer whiz. Flash, HTML, computer programming, coding—you name it, you can do it. As long as you’ve got a mouse and a computer to hook it up to! Technology fascinates you, and there’s basically nothing you can’t do when it comes to the latest advances. You have a high-tech phone, you know almost every piece of software that exists, and you’ve even working on creating your own. Better call up Windows and let them know it was actually your idea. Way to go, girl!

Majors to consider: Information Systems, Computer Programming, Information Technology, Computer Science, Graphic Design, Management Information Systems, Computer Engineering Technology

Mostly F’s: You love America. And Greece. And Spain. And France. And England. Basically, you know everything there is to know about the history of this country and just about every other one on the globe. What better way to put this knowledge to use than to get a degree in history, political science or international relations? What kind of history, you ask? Well, whatever most interests you! If you don’t mind spending time memorizing dates and names and amendments and writing 20-page papers on them, then perhaps you should consider a career in politics. You’ve got to know how a country should be run in order to do it yourself. You have to know what has and hasn’t worked in the past in order to shape the future. And it looks like you’re on the right track, you history buff, you.

Majors to consider: History, Pre-Law, Political Science, Global Studies, Translating, International Relations, Archiving, Journalism

As you can see after taking this quiz, a good way to hone in on what you want to study in college is to think of what you like to do and what you’re good at doing. This is really the biggest factor. They don’t tell you this in high school, but extracurriculars and hobbies are often more important than core classes. Sure, making a good grade in calculus will help you to pass the math section of the SAT, but future employers will want someone with real-world experience, not someone who happened to do well on a test. It’s more important that you’re passionate and experienced in the field that you’re interested in. Once you figure out what that field is, the world could be yours!

For more detailed information about the major that you’re most interested in, visit these websites:

http://www.collegeboard.com/

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges

Sources:

U.S. News & World Report Ultimate College Guide. Naperville, Ill.: Source, 2005. Print.

The College Board Book of Majors. New York: College Board, 2008. Print.