If you’re like me, that means you’re extremely indecisive. Applying for college can be fun but it can also be stressful, especially if you don’t know what you want your major to be. When I applied, I chose my major by deciding which class was my favorite in high school: chemistry. As I entered college, I changed my mind. When registering for my first semester classes, I registered for distribution classes. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do with my life. A few weeks later, I was thinking about changing my major and I went to speak to my advisor. Believe it or not, speaking with her made me even more stressed. She made it seem like if I don’t start taking classes for my major immediately then I would not graduate within four years. After the meeting, I tried to rush into a major that I didn’t completely look into.
I talked to my family about it and they didn’t want me to choose chemistry as my major. After a long talk and copious tears, they helped me realize that I didn’t even want that as my major in the first place. I just chose something to not feel pressure anymore. Luckily they stopped me from rushing into something that could have affected the rest of my life. My mom reassured me that it’s okay to not know what you want to do immediately — that’s part of the reason you go to college. You go to not only get a degree, you go to figure out who you are and what your interests are.
One thing that helped me choose a major was talking to new people at school. In doing so, I met a lot of people with majors I never even considered and I learned a lot about them. This is helpful because there is a large difference between looking at a list of potential majors and talking to people who have experienced them first-hand. It helps you realize whether or not you would be interested in that major. One easy way to do this is by talking to people in your classes or by joining clubs. Joining clubs is a great way to decide on a major because you not only meet new people, you explore your interests and determine what you’re good at. You can even learn new things.
Another way to decide on a major is by going to the career center for major exploration. Some people don’t find this helpful because you have to do a lot of work yourself. One thing that stuck with me from speaking with an advisor there was no one can tell you what your major should be because that is up to you. She then said she can only give me the tools to help me figure that out for myself. Next, she gave me online resources that would highlight my strengths and weaknesses and give me a list of suggestions for possible careers and the corresponding majors you would need for those careers. I have taken tests like that before but this one was the most advantageous.
Ultimately, selecting a major can be a long and grueling process. Especially if you are not one of those people who are blessed with knowing what they want to do with their life from the get-go. Seeking help and advice from others is beneficial, but in the end, you have to do a lot of soul searching. You can’t pick a major just because someone else wants you to have it. Even if you do choose something that you don’t like or you rushed into, you should know it is okay to start over. I know it’s stressful but not knowing your path is not the end of the world. You have your entire life to figure out what you want. All in all, don’t pick something out of necessity. Pick something because you enjoy it and it makes you happy.