So How Do You Choose a Major?

Choosing a major can be a really overwhelming part of the college process for high school students getting ready to send off applications. The thing that makes this especially tough is that students often lack the exposure and experience to really know what a major, or its related career pathways, might look and feel like.

Whether you have your major on lock, or are overwhelmed by where to even begin, here are three things every high school student should do before committing to a college major:

#1 Inventory your interests.

A really good starting point in exploring major interests is to take stock of what you enjoy learning and doing, what you are good at, and what you are curious about. Sometimes students (and parents) have a tendency to jump to the outcome, rather than the process when it comes to majors. So if your goal is, I want a stable income in a growing job market, you pinpoint business or computer engineering as great majors. Perhaps your goal is helping people, so you think becoming a doctor is the path for you, and you’ll major in biology in college to move down that path. But before you commit, it’s really important to assess your personal fit, and whether you can really see yourself thriving on the journey. Medicine, for example, does offer opportunities to help others; but so do many other career paths. Medicine, in particular, requires the study of physics, biochemistry, and advanced calculus, not only in your undergraduate years, but through further study in medical school. Medicine is a path riddled with high stakes testing. If those are not subjects you find yourself drawn to and excited to delve into, and if you are not comfortable showcasing your learning and strengths through standardized tests, this may not be the best fit path to pursue your desire to help others. Assessing this alignment, really asking yourself not only what but also how you love to learn, and where your strengths have been showing up in your academic life and extracurricular involvements is an excellent place to start.

#2 Find out what the major looks like on the inside.

Before signing yourself up as a business major, nursing major, or philosophy major, you’ve got to know what your day to day life will look like in this program. So pick at least three to five colleges of interest and go dig into the specifics of what that program offers. Visit the college’s website, find your way to the academic program or major you are considering, and learn about how the college approaches study in this field, what your requirements will look like, and what experiences you can gain.

Ask yourself, how does the college frame the focus or outcomes of this major? What student or alumni profiles do they highlight? How does this appeal to you, or not? What courses are offered? What courses are required for the major? Which ones excite you? Which ones make you nervous? Can you start these courses right away, in your first year, or do you have to complete some other requirements first? How much flexibility is there to choose these classes, or to take other classes outside of this major? How much does that matter to you? Beyond courses, how else do students learn and build their skills in this program? Are there research opportunities, study abroad, team based learning, or internship experiences?

As you start to explore, the clarity comes with doing this exploration at multiple colleges. Once you compare two or three or four schools, you will notice differences in the offerings and approaches. This tells you something about what your preferences lean you towards. It will also help you get a sense of whether the day to day study in this area is something that draws you in, or pushes you away.

#3 Get some experience in the real world.

It’s very difficult to apply to a major without having built up some exposure and experience to the field outside of classes taught at your high school. This means a student gets a better sense of not only the major, but the possible applications in the professional world, by doing. This ‘doing’ can take many forms including internships, volunteering, job shadowing, actively utilizing relevant skills in a club or organization in your school or community, or self-teaching additional skills through an online course outside of school and applying them to a project.

This exposure and experience has two valuable benefits. The first is seeing what it would look like to engage this area of study in practical ways. The second is building up experience that serves as evidence to your admissions readers of your engagement in your areas of interest. A student who wishes to apply in journalism, for example, really needs to have done something in the field. This can be a school newspaper, a personal blog, writing for a local community publication, or working on a podcast. But without this, it’s hard for an admissions reader to take a student’s interest seriously, and it’s hard for a student to pursue a path with confidence and certainty.

TBU Advisors are experienced in supporting students to navigate their college choices and personal best fit, and TBU Essay & Application specialists are experts at supporting students to craft their most compelling, authentic work. If you’d like to explore working with a TBU Advisor, now is the time. Get in touch here and we will look forward to connecting with you.

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