GETTING READY

PICKING A MAJOR

What's Stopping Your Decision?

By Fritz Grupe
MyMajors.com

The thick envelope arrived! You were accepted at Big Deal U. You even have your finances set. Do you know the answer to the next question: What’s your major? Many students are uncertain about this—up to 80 percent of all incoming first-year students. That’s a lot of indecision.

Failure to find an answer to this question has many financial implications. One student talking to an advisor said, “I started out as an art major but didn’t like it, so I decided I would try social work. After two semesters, I saw that this wouldn’t earn me the money I wanted, so I tried business. I especially liked the computer stuff, and now I want to major in computer science. Is there any way I can do that and still graduate with my class?” The answer is “no.” How would you break the news of the additional time commitment and extra cost involved in starting over to your parents?

Failing to get started on time with a highly structured major, such as engineering or computer science, makes an extra year of studies necessary, costing you an extra year of tuition, books, lodging and meals, lost wages and a delay in beginning “real” life.

Students unable to find a major may drop out because their studies don’t seem to be going anywhere. Some counselors feel that students should take time to figure out a major and benefit from the search process. Remember, these people are not going to pay your bills.

Let’s look at several types of “undecideds” and see how you can try to get an earlier, and correct, start on your major.

Are you an excellent student for whom multiple majors could be “right” choices? If you study hard, earn excellent grades, obtain high test scores and are driven to achieve, picking one major is difficult. Focus on narrowing your choices. This requires lots of discussion, perhaps with people in each field, to understand each discipline, the type of job each major leads to and the kind of jobs graduates find.

Are you being realistic, planning to be a doctor, lawyer or executive even though your progress to date shows no promise that you can succeed in these majors? If this is you, you have a lot to deal with. Students often don’t have the test scores, GPA or study habits to indicate future success. These indicators don’t guarantee failure, but they do suggest a need to either work harder or to find another major.

Are you torn between what you want to do and what your parents or others think you should do? Make your own decision. If you are conflicted, try to convince your parents to let you follow your own path. Perhaps you need the support of a counselor to help your parents see your side.

Are you clear about what majors really are? Careers and majors are not the same. Perhaps you can’t see how to make the transition from the career you want to a major. Maybe you don’t know what majors are available. Many students never even consider majors like geography and anthropology unless they accidentally happen on a course in one of those fields. Invest time looking at the course catalog and be sure you really know something about fields of potential value to you.

Don’t reject a major because “that’s nothing but...” For example, don’t eliminate a computer-oriented major because “its nothing but sitting in front of a computer.” You can do technical writing and training that requires less computer usage than many other professions whose names don’t suggest computers. Don’t limit yourself to over-simplified images of which careers relate to a major.

Although many majors are repeated on college campuses, some are truly unique. Search for courses of study at multiple campuses that you may have never heard of. They might be just right for you.

Are you often indecisive and have trouble making many significant decisions? Are you overwhelmed with the amount of data available and no basis on which to make a decision? Try narrowing choices from a list and eliminating majors until you determine a good direction to start with. Find people who can help you overcome your indecision: a counselor or your parents. Don’t wait for lightning to strike.

Don’t select majors based on shows and movies. Indiana Jones made archaeology a hot major for awhile. Some students want to be symbologists (not a major) because of The DaVinci Code. The demand for para-psychological investigators and profilers is tiny. If this describes you, discussions with knowledgeable people are in order to find out what life, not just a major, is really about.

Don’t confuse majors with graduate degrees. Pharmacy, law, counseling, and medicine are not undergraduate majors, much to some students’ surprise. Even if you can be successful in these programs, you still have to complete an undergraduate major first, and the “right major” is not obvious. Pre-med, for instance, is not a true major. You can major in many fields, not just biology or chemistry, and still gain admittance to a medical school. Law school can come after many majors, too.

You are not alone in your quest. School counselors can help, but their time is limited. There are independent counselors who charge for their help. Universities have academic advisors who provide assistance, but contact them early. Their schedules fill up quickly, and if you are too late, you may not get into the right classes.

MyMajors.com is a great resource to help you find majors based on your school experience and personal values. It recommends majors for you to consider, offers information about majors and the jobs they lead to, and provides helpful links to resources that help you understand what it takes to succeed in each major.

Finding a major that is right for you is possible. Give it the same amount of effort you put into finding the campus that is best for you.

*Story from Fall 07 issue