How to Choose A Major In College + How I Chose Mine

Choosing a major was probably one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made. I moved to another state, changed schools and switched majors. And I’m so glad I did, I’m doing what I love and that’s the most important thing to me. When I was in high school, I saw choosing a major as a huge life changing decision. I put so much pressure on myself to choose the “right major”, even though I actually had no idea what I wanted. So, here is some advice on how to choose a major and how I chose mine. I really hope it helps!

First of all, it is totally okay if you have no idea what you want to do in life yet. It is normal and acceptable so don’t stress out. I figured out what I wanted to do during my sophomore year. And I’m still learning and figuring things out as I go.

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What are you passionate about?

The first and most important step towards choosing a major, is asking yourself some hard questions. This will help you to get to know yourself better and to figure out what you want. Ask yourself the following questions: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? What are your hobbies? Is there something you’re passionate about? What do you during your free time?

If you love reading or writing, maybe you could become a writer or editor. If you love video games, maybe you should consider Video Game Design or Programming. Write all of this down and don’t rule anything out – nothing is too small.

I have always been passionate about fashion. Ever since I was in middle school, I would lay out my outfits for an entire week in my couch and I would plan every single detail. I loved putting outfits together and the world of fashion just fascinated me. But, I didn’t know a career in fashion was an option for me. I come from Peru and in Peru a fashion major is basically non-existent. There’s almost no future in the fashion industry in Peru. Peruvians parents still have that old-fashion mindset that to be successful you need to become a lawyer, a doctor or an engineer. Luckily, my mom is open minded and after some time, she accepted that I wasn’t going to pursue a career in any of those fields and has always supported me ever since.

What Are You Good at?

This question might be similar to the one above, but they’re very different. The fact that you’re passionate about something, doesn’t mean you’re good at it. It doesn’t have to be something specific as drawing or writing, it can be being a good leader, thinking outside of the box, having an eye for design, etc.

Because I was passionate about fashion, I thought the best major for me was Fashion Design. And let me tell you, I sucked at it and really disliked it. I took fashion design classes for one semester and that was it for me. I knew I couldn’t do this for the rest of my life and taking classes in fashion design, just took all the fun from it. That’s when I decided to change majors, transfer schools and move to New York. Click here to read more about that journey and process.

Why Do You Want to go to College?

This question is so important. Nowadays, so many students take education for granted and see going to college just as the ” next step”. They don’t stop to think about why they should or why they want to go to college in the first place (me included). But to be able to choose a major, you need to think about your goals.

If you want to go to college to work in an specific industry, that’s great. If you want to go to college to figure out what to do in life, that’s great too.

Once you have a general goal or goals in mind, you can start figuring out what steps to take in order to achieve those goals.

Take a Wide Variety of Classes Your First Year

If it’s possible and if you’re still unsure on what to major in, you should take a wide variety of classes during your first year of college. This will allow you to explore different fields and to dip your toe into what interests you. You’ll surely find a particular class or field extra interesting and others not so much.

Most schools offer an exploratory program that lasts one year. During this year, you would be taking classes in different fields, such as business, psychology, science, etc. Or whatever fields interest you the most, while also completing your pre-requisites or general education classes.

That is what I did during my freshman year, but not because I didn’t know what major to choose, but because getting accepted into the Fashion Design school was very hard and competitive. It was easier to get in by switching majors than by applying as a high school graduate. During that year, I took business classes, which led me to figure out that I loved business! But I still wanted to work in fashion. So, I googled business and fashion schools and that is what led me to New York and I haven’t looked back since.

Talk to Students And Professors

Another way to find out more about a certain major is to speak with someone who is studying it or who teaches it. Maybe you have a friend who is majoring in a field that interests you. You could ask them what taking classes in that field is like. Students will give an unfiltered view of what that major really is like, while professors tend to promote their department. But if you’ve taken a class that you really like and would like to find out more. It would be a good idea to go to your professors office hours. You can ask him/her more about a career in that field and what jobs there are and they can even give you advice on how to choose a major.

Make an appointment with your advisor

Whether you’re still in high school or you are a freshman in college, you should schedule an appointment with an advisor. Helping how to choose a major is literally their job, I’m sure they’ll help you figure out the best path for you and the steps to take.

Consider a double major and minors

Most schools have options for double majors and minors. I’m minoring in economics, which wasn’t planned, but I had taken so many economics classes that my advisor told me if I took one more I would be able to minor in economics, so why not?

Anyways, if you have another interest and it relates to your major and complements it, then it might be a good idea to consider double majoring or minoring in it. For example, if you love Marketing and have an interest in Psychology, it would be a good idea to double major or major in marketing and minor in psychology.

Focus on a field rather than an specific job

There are so many more jobs than the traditional ones like, doctor, writer, lawyer, etc. Nowadays, there’ so many new jobs and majors you didn’t even know existed. I’m majoring in Fashion Business Management and three years ago I had no idea that major existed! Focus on a field you’d like to work in rather than an specific job or career.

It’s Never Too Late to Find Your Passion

As I mentioned before, I transferred to another school, moved to another city and switched majors during my sophomore year. I thought fashion design was the best decision for me, but I was wrong. It took me longer than one year to find my passion! My sister, Andrea, is another example that it is never too late to find your passion. She went to med school back in Peru, then she decided to transfer to a university in the United States and double majored in Biology and Neuroscience. But, she wasn’t passionate about the medical field. So, she took a risk and applied to Law School. And now Andrea goes to Law School, is the third in her entire class and she is graduating soon!

Don’t get discouraged if you’re in your 20s and still don’t know what to do or what major to choose – there’s nothing wrong with that.

Choose a major that makes you happy

And most importantly, choose a major that makes you happy. Your happiness matters more than anything! If you love something and if you’re happy doing it, it doesn’t feel like work. Don’t let a future salary pick for you – thing is you can major in business and make a lot of money or just not make enough. It all depends on so many different components, other than your degree.

If you have any other tips on how to chose a major, comment below! Also, I found an article from Elephant on The Road about “Things I Wish I Knew Before Choosing A College Major“. Read for more tips & insight!