Matti Daniels
Family and Consumer Sciences

Choosing the right college major

If you are headed to college but still not sure what you want to do, you are not alone. Many students are in the same boat.

Choosing a major is an important step toward a rewarding career, but many students change majors at least once; many workers also change careers, some more than once. Choosing a worthwhile major is one step in a life process that you may be making up as you go. How do you decide?

Do what you want, not what others want. Are family members or friends telling you what you should be doing with your life? They very likely want the best for you, but does it drive you crazy anyway? Could it be because you do not believe they know what is really best for you? Listen to good ideas, but always consider what you really want.

Choose something that interests you. It is important to find a major you are passionate about, but passion develops over time. Look at what interests you and select a major based on that interest. When you find a major that is based on something that truly interests you, then you could develop a passion for it.

Be realistic. You might choose a major because jobs in that field pay well, or because you are deeply interested in the subject. But be sure you are thinking realistically. Is a job in your field what you think it is? What do people in that field do every day? What expectations must they meet? It is important to get early-on, first-hand experience through a job or internship to make sure your major is right for you.

Be good at what you do. Something could always disrupt your plans. Demand for people in your field could drop, you could try and fail or maybe the job changes in some way just as you enter the job market. This is when you need to be at your most flexible.
If you find you cannot do what you thought you were going to do, you will need to make an adjustment. During all these years of schooling, you have learned something – find a way that you can use it and are good at what you do.

For more information, contact the Whitley County Cooperative Extension Service at 549-1430; visit the office currently located in Cumberland Regional Mall, 965 S. Highway 25W, Williamsburg; or e-mail DL_CES_WHITLEY@EMAIL.UKY.EDU.

Reference: Gebhard, N. (2015, July 31). Four Steps to Choosing a College Major. New York Times. Retrieved August 4, 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/02/education/edlife/four-steps-to-choosing-a-career-path.html.
Source: Robert H. Flashman, Extension Specialist for Family Resource Management, University of Kentucky; College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.