Whether you have declared your major or not, every student can agree that they have been unsure of what to study at one point or another in their academic career. Personally, I experienced this dreadful feeling of confusion all throughout my freshman year of college. I was so sure of my future and career plans before I even was accepted into college; however, I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to study. I jumped from English to computer science to journalism and circled back again. I found myself torturing and criticizing myself for not knowing what I wanted to study. Luckily, I managed to figure out what I’m passionate about and what I could do with it. If you’re in this boat, try some of the tips below that could make declaring your major a bit easier.
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Make a list of things that interest you.
This step may sound superficial, but in my case it was pretty helpful. A lot of people don’t want to major in what they’re interested in because they don’t think it’s “realistic” or financially-reliant. Believe it or not, you can score a high-paying job even if it doesn’t align with your area of study. Instead of forcing yourself to study business, study something that interests you or sparks some sort of passion within you.
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Enroll in different courses and electives.
You don’t have to limit yourself to your major requirements. Through elective courses, you can take classes that aren’t related to what you are studying; or thought you wanted to study. Exploring different courses that intrigue you will help you determine if you should switch into a different area of study.
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Declare a minor.
If you’re interested in a subject that you don’t want to fully commit yourself to, you should consider adding it as a minor. By doing so, you’re given more room to explore different areas of interest without disturbing the course of study for your own major. However, if a four class minor isn’t enough to satisfy your interest in a subject, turn that minor into another major. You can always double major if you’re willing to do double the amount of coursework.
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Talk to your advisor.
I strongly suggest speaking with your advisor about declaring a major. In addition to suggesting courses that align with your potential area of study, it’s nice to talk to someone outside of your friends and family about a decision like this. In doing so, there’s less bias involved and you avoid the possibility of your parents berating you over why you’re not on the pre-health track.
