College is a strange time for everyone. There are students that are fresh out of high school, that have just spent two years in a different country, or that are parents returning to finish their education. No matter the circumstances, we are all here and we are all trying to figure out “what we want to be when we grow up.” For several different reasons, this is a hard question to answer. I know plenty of people who grew up knowing what they wanted to do with their college education and what they wanted to do in the future. I also know a lot of people, a couple semesters into their college experience, that have no clue what they want to do with their education or what they want their future career to be. College is an excellent time for both of these people. There are so many opportunities to just go for what you want, but also for students to explore interests and find out what they really want to do. In this article I will be going through how to find a college major that suits you and how to explore interests while taking a full class load.
In May 2020, U.S. News came out with an article to help students out while choosing a major and I will be picking pieces of that article to use in mine today. U.S. News says that one of the easiest ways to choose a college major is to find what you’re passionate about. “Considering how a major can affect a student’s life both during and after college, it’s optimal to choose an area of sustained interest” (Smith-Barrow.) While students may find many things interesting, there are usually a few areas that hold a peak interest for prolonged amounts of time. Choosing something that is interesting for the time being may not be the wisest choice because while it is interesting now, it may not be as intriguing in a couple of years. One thing that I did while choosing my college major was looking at what I am interested in and have been interested in for a while. I didn’t want to just read the majors and minors list and choose one that sounded cool. I made sure that it was something I could see myself pursuing in the future. I took a handful of things I was interested in, wrote out everything I liked and disliked about the major “pathway” I would take during school, I looked at the career options I would pursue with each major, and then researched the classes.
What if you don’t know what your passion is? It’s hard to look at passions if you don’t even know what you are passionate about! The Muse wrote an article, “5 Ways to Find Your Passion,” for people looking for a job, but college classes are like our job, so it applies wonderfully. The first step that they mention in the article is to slow down. Slowing down doesn’t really seem like the way to go about things, but sometimes when our minds are too busy we are unable to focus on what we are looking for. As written in the article, “When you take time to nurture your mind and body, you’ll feel more energized and creatively inspired” The Muse also discusses allowing yourself to explore. After thinking about what you like to do and the future you’re aiming for, it’s important to step away from anything that you don’t enjoy. This can be a bit difficult in college though — for example, I don’t like math, but I need to do it for general education requirements. You may not like a prerequisite, but you need to complete it for a later class in your field. This being said, step away from what you can without ruining your college path. It may take time, but “Eventually, as you give yourself permission to go down these roads, you’ll start to narrow down your passions more and more, just by doing what feels best to you.” (Werk)
On the other hand, maybe you’re passionate about or eager to explore a variety of subjects. College is awesome for this too! Most majors have minors for students. A minor that works well with your major can be great in the professional field because it gives you more experience: “A useful major and minor combination can reinforce skills across disciplines and prepare students to work in more than one industry” (Smith- Barrow.) Exploring minors can be just as useful as different majors. Pairing up majors and minors can be tricky, but also really fun. The best way to learn about various minors is to take a class that falls within the minor. Additionally, you can also double major. Double majoring is a challenge because you’d be taking multiple credits for both majors at the same time, but it could be worth it depending on your personal goals.
Another issue that students might run into is if they know what they want to major in and do as a career, but find themselves gravitating towards other courses and subjects when they begin classes. While taking my own general education classes, I realized that I liked that class subject more than what I was majoring in. I ended up switching my major to that subject! It may be hard to explore new interests if you have already started to dive right into a major, but it’s not impossible. Class loads can become heavy fast, but one of the easiest ways to explore is by joining a club (or clubs) that goes along with a certain major or new curiosity. This gives you more of a hands-on experience and is a great way to meet other people interested in the same things. Another way to learn about new interests is to volunteer for programs or activities around campus or nearby. Just by attending these activities or programs, you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions and get a feel for the topic in general. Lastly, you can get beneficial experience by interning with a major. This may seem like a scary thing, but interning can open doors for you and help you create connections if you decide it’s what you want to do.
Here’s the craziest part: your major and what you decide to study in college can have close to nothing to do with your career and future. The Washington Post wrote an article all about this, saying “the authors [of the graphs not shown] estimated that just 27 percent of college grads had a job that was closely related to their major.” (Plumer) While finding something you enjoy studying is a vital part of your college experience, so is finding something that you want to do in the future. It’s important to “…know that when you follow your interests, they could lead you on a different path than you ever expected. So, it’s important to stay open and flexible without any attachment to where you’ll end up” (Werk.) Have goals, work for what you want, but remember that you can make all these decisions and not even end up in that career field. It’s also helpful to know that you can use most degrees in a different way than you imagined. There are no rules telling us how to use a college degree — choose something you’re interested in, but don’t chain yourself to that path because life will present you with multiple opportunities that will pull you to a different road on that path! College is a great time to learn, both educationally and personally, so don’t let this wonderful time go to waste!
Citations
Plumer, B. (2019, August 22). Analysis | only 27 percent of college grads have a job related to their major. The Washington Post. Retrieved October 25, 2021, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2013/05/20/only-27-percent-of-college-grads-have-a-job-related-to-their-major/.
Smith-Barrow, D., & Moody, J. (2020, May 12). 10 steps to choosing the right college | best colleges … us news.com. Retrieved October 25, 2021, from https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/slideshows/10-steps-to-picking-the-right-school.
Werk, E. (2020, June 19). 5 ways to Find your passion. The Muse. Retrieved October 25, 2021, from https://www.themuse.com/advice/5-ways-to-find-your-passion.