5 Methods To Try When Picking A Major

By Isabella Trelles on April 30, 2019

I know how challenging it is to pick a major. Personally, I changed my major about six times because I simply did not know which career I wanted to choose. If you find yourself in the same situation, read on for tried and true methods I tried myself to help you choose your major!

pexels.com

1. Take classes within that field

This is probably one of the best methods to try when picking a major! Taking a class involving something that you could potentially see a future career in can spark an interest in you that you didn’t know you had. Or it could eliminate one of your career choices. By trying this method, it could also show you if you do not enjoy that particular field. For example, I had the idea of becoming a nutritionist so I decided to take the course “Essentials of Nutrition.”This course helped me realize that this field involved sciences like chemistry and biology, which was not my strong suit. This method showed me that taking introductory courses is just a quick and easy method to see if you like that field. Do not forget, you have all of your freshman and sophomore year to do this!

2. Look to people as references

Unfortunately, reading about a job or a major is not enough to get a real understanding of what the experience is actually like. So if you have the opportunity, ask someone who is currently working in the position you are thinking of for information. This will give you more of a feel of what the real experience is like and it can provide helpful one on one advice. It could even be a family member or a friend that has some knowledge in this field. Remember, it does not hurt to do some light research!

3. Take an introspective look at yourself 

Sometimes the answers to what you want to do are easy to figure out! Think about your favorite hobbies and activities, and then ask yourself if that’s something you could see yourself doing as a career. This could be something as simple as shopping. If this is something you enjoy, you could always look at career options like becoming a buyer for a company in an industry you like. Additionally, thinking about majors involving something you enjoy is great because you’ll always have ambition and passion for the career you end up choosing.

4. Talk to professors

So let’s say you have a class that you just fell in love with while taking it and you are not sure what route to take within that major or career. The best thing to do is to ask your professor for advice. If it is a class you genuinely enjoy, then I am sure the teacher will be more than willing to give you some advice because teachers always notice when you have taken an interest in their class.

The reason I think this is such a useful method is because professors have so much knowledge and experience within that subject, which could provide useful information that you might not have even been aware of. As an example, I had a professor that informed my class of all the different kinds of jobs you could do in film that people are not even aware of because there is so much work that goes into a film. She explained occupations like specializing in lighting or even the layouts of rooms in films, showing that there are such minor jobs in every field that are available to us. This is why it’s important to talk to professors, they know options that can help guide you to what you want to do.

5. Try an internship

Internships not only look amazing on your resume but you can also get a real feel on what a career is like! Spending an extended amount of time within that workplace will show you if it is a career you truly want to move forward with or that its something you know you will not be happy doing. I would suggest completing one over the summer so you can plan your class for the following year depending on your experience.

 Last Thoughts

There are also other options you take that could make your career more flexible.  If you are interested in multiple subjects, there is always the option to complete a double major. This is great if you do not want to just stick to one field, or you could complete minors along the way. By following this path, you are not confining yourself and this will give you more opportunities for different jobs when you graduate.

Lastly, do not forget that it is completely acceptable to change your major until you find the one that you are happy with. It is difficult to choose what you want to do, so do not put pressure on yourself to figure that out right away! It just takes putting a little research and effort into it.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format