Every so often I have a parent or student tell me that everyone keeps asking their child or them, “what are you going to major in”? Now, this is not a bad question, but it’s the response that a student gets after they say, “I don’t know”, that can be frustrating. For some, whether it be family or friends, it seems like when they ask this question, they are expecting a junior or senior in high school to already have their life figured out. They think that if a 16, 17 or 18 year old doesn’t know what they want to do as a career, they are going to be behind in life or not ready for college. Below are six reasons why it is perfectly fine for a junior or senior in high school to not be sure of what they want to major in.
- They could or should have a number of interests and passions and they haven’t eliminated any yet because there is still exploring to do or courses to take in college. They are going to experience many new and exciting things their first year of college that they have never experienced before. At college they will be more independent than they have ever been in their life so they are going to interact with professors, peers and organization leaders who will most likely influence their future major decisions. A Boston College admissions counselor made a great point when he said, “a student entering their freshman year of college should look at their freshman year like they are looking over the menu at a restaurant.”
- There are so many options that they are not even aware of. I went into college thinking I could be a lawyer. I liked to do research, speak and as any kid wants to, thought I could make a lot of money. I learned real quick after talking to certain professors and doing some research at college that there are things about being a lawyer that did not fit my skill set and and desires (mainly having to go to school for more than 4 years). So I changed my major to political science but then eventually public administration. I loved how public administration involved political science but also economics and business administration. I didn’t even know public administration was an option when I entered college. The first year of college is a time to see what’s available as an option, take classes that give exposure to a few different majors and get great advice. Most colleges now have freshman take similar courses no matter what major they are in to make sure they get the proper foundation before they have to declare a major. I talked with a University of Maryland admissions representative last week and she said that all freshman, including Engineering students, take what they call “gateway courses” and they can always change their major after the freshman year.
- There are going to be jobs that haven’t been created yet. Every year it seems that I hear of a job and I ask myself, “was that even an option when I graduated from college?” Especially with technology today, new jobs are being created each year. Who knows what new jobs may be available 4-5 years from now. This is another good reason to be more patient and see how the job market is evolving. Now, I am not saying that a college student should wait until their senior year to decide what to major in, but I do think that it is okay for a college student to be patient for their freshman year and sometimes even the first semester of their sophomore year and see what major best fits their passions, skill set and desires. I do strongly recommend that a college student pay attention to how long it would take them to complete their bachelors degree in four years (unless you know going into a co-op program that it will take 5 years). Being uncertain about your major or changing late in your college career is something I do not recommend because then you are paying more and accruing more debt for college because it will take longer to finish. Once you declare your major, it’s important to stick with and finish the commitment you started in order to finish in four years.
- Colleges students change their major 2-3 times on average over the course of their college career. This alone should give high school juniors and seniors the message that once they enter college, they will most likely change their major anyway. So why go into college convincing themselves that they HAVE to major in one thing and if that doesn’t work out, they are setting themselves back or are going to be lost in life. It’s okay for them to change majors as much as they see fit within the first year and half of college. When a student completes an application, they may need to enter a major and also a 2nd choice major but if they are not sure what exactly they want to do, stay broad.
- It may come down to the “soft skills” after all. Unless you are majoring in Engineering, Nursing, Accounting, Pharmacy, Athletic Training, Occupational Therapy (or another type of therapy) or even Education, when it comes to finding a job after college, it will most likely not come down to what your major was. Employers today are mainly looking for 5 skills. These are taken from a book by Jeff Selingo that I highly recommend you read called, There is Life After College. These 5 skills are 1) curiosity, 2) creativity, 3) digital awareness, and 4) contextual thinking, and 5) humility. There are also the top 4 skills that are listed in job postings. These are 1) communication/writing, 2) organization skills, 3) customer service/problem solving, 4) planning/detail oriented. College students who graduate in the majors I mention above should also exhibit these skills but their degree is specific and the jobs they would get with that degree are going to be pretty specific. Employers in these fields only hire students with those degrees. Outside of the above majors, it may not matter what your major is. It will come down to the skills mentioned above that will enable you to get the job. For example, you can be a political science major and still get a marketing/advertising job if you interview well and are strong in the skill areas above the hiring company is looking for.
- In the end, it could come down to an internship you did. Plain and simple, companies are getting more comfortable hiring individuals who did an internship with their company. Whatever major you pursue, take advantage of doing at least one internship but two would be even better.
