Choosing a Major

Where Do I Begin?
Choosing a major is an important decision, one that should not be hurried. The time that you give to the PROCESS of making this decision will be well spent.

Making a major decision too quickly or without enough information may only lead to frustration, especially if you later find that the field bores you or that you don’t have the necessary skills

For example, if you are thinking of majoring in nursing because you heard there is a high demand for this well paying job, and you like to help people, but you’ve done average or less than average work in science and math courses in high school and/or college, you may need to ask yourself if nursing is a realistic choice.

Don’t Rush!
Making a hasty decision about your major may be more time consuming and expensive in the end if you go through too many changes later.

In order to make a major decision, you need three things: Time, Information, and Commitment.

• Time to consider all the options, to think about implications of your decision, and time to do the work necessary to make a decision.
• Information so your decision is based on your own experiences and you can compare statistics, data, knowledge and advice.
• Commitment to follow through, to make decisions and review your progress regularly.

What Do I Want To Study?
The question to consider is specific: “What do I want to study?” not “What do I want to be when I grow up?” Although the pursuit of a major can be related to the pursuit of a career field, they may not always be linked. Many times students feel stress or pressure choosing a major.

Ask Yourself:

• What are my interests and what intrigues me?
• What are the kinds of activities that I enjoy participating in, reading, or studying?
• What hobbies do I pursue?
• What courses have I enjoyed the most? Why?
• When you fantasize about your future, what kind of activities do you imagine yourself doing?