Recent Posts
As a high school senior, your favorite pastimes probably involved reading books, dancing or jamming to the radio. Perhaps you even scored high in math and science on the ACT. But when colleges started sending you brochures telling you to “follow your dreams,” you were suddenly met with fear and apprehension. In this world of infinite possibilities, you were terrified of making the wrong choice, ruining your career and regretting your path.
The advice on choosing a college is full of contradictions: “Do what you love, but also keep your eyes on that salary.” “Companies love hiring artsy people for their creativity, but STEM is the future.” “Start marketing yourself for a successful career now, but you’ll probably change jobs many times in the process.” For many men and women, they feel pressured to choose a college or pursue a career than just isn’t a great fit.
Your success in college directly affects your earnings in the future; it’s no secret that people with college degrees earn significantly more than their high school-educated peers. But you have to earn that degree first. And if you aren’t satisfied with your college, you’re less likely to complete your degree.
Here are five steps to choosing the major that works for you, with some scientific stats for the STEM majors and personal testimonies from our ENTITY writers.
Take a deep breath and ask yourself the important question: “What do I like to do?”
This question is practical, as it should be, because you will be working 40 hours (or more) a week for a very long time. You don’t want to spend such a large chunk of your life doing something you hate.
Consider, however, the stats. Your job may not be closely connected to your major. According to a recent Pew poll, 60 percent of science majors said their job related to their area of study, as compared to 43 percent of “social science/liberal arts/education” majors.
ENTITY writer Justine Morales always thought that she would be a professional musician in high school, so she majored in music. However, she says, “After realizing I couldn’t make a career playing music because I wasn’t willing to make the necessary sacrifice to get better, I tacked on a creative writing major and really enjoyed the experience of learning about music and learning how to write about it.”
Morales is not the first college graduate to find employment in a different field than her major. Times Free Press says, “According to a November 2013 study by website CareerBuilder, about one-third (31 percent) of college-educated American workers age 35 and older are never employed within their degree field.”
Don’t let these stats bring you down, however. “According to the CareerBuilder study, about two-thirds (64 percent) of respondents working outside their field said they’re happy with what they chose to study.” So even though your choice of major is important, you can expect to find a job outside the expected sphere and be happy with it.
There are a number of elements to consider when picking your college, such as the location, the course offerings and the campus environment. Many people, for example, gravitate towards prestigious universities. As USA Today College explains that “brands” matter. “For the next 50 years, when you shake someone’s hand to introduce yourself, one of the first things you will be asked is where you went to college,” the college website writes. “People like to hire students from colleges with strong recognizable brand names too.”
Some people, on the other hand, look for colleges where professors care or where the “science programs” or “writing programs” are well-known. Essentially, people aim to surround themselves with excellence, something that will help advance their career. This is likely because “if you surround yourself with the strongest academic students possible, you are likely to perform at a higher level,” says USA Today College.
But for those of you who just can’t make a decision, TIME reassures, “Today, whether you go to college retains some importance in your employment options. But where you go to college is of almost no importance.” Instead, students should focus on developing necessary skills, gaining experience and exceeding academically.
Although money can’t necessarily buy happiness, graduating without college debt will most likely brighten your future.
Entire political campaigns have been structured around the concern over rising student debt. And though many people will argue that the debt is “worth it,” you should still look closely at the student aid packages and scholarship programs at your college. Two great resources for that are CollegeXpress and EducationQuest, both websites offer help in completing federal financial aid (or FAFSA) applications and have resources to help pick a college that won’t break the bank … too much.
And if you weren’t offered that much in financial aid, you always have the option to work part-time or full-time while attending school. According to a Huffington Post poll, nearly four out of five students in college have a part-time job.
“I chose to go to [ASU] because they offer an online degree that is the same as if I went on campus. It works best for working full time,” says ENTITY writer Kaleigh O’Merry.
Although college is thought of as a time of “independence” and “adulthood,” picking your college is often another story. According to higher education consultants Noel-Levits (via Up and Up), parental input matters a great deal when choosing a college. Nearly 60 percent of prospective college students reported that they researched colleges with their parents and 61 percent of parents said that the final college decision was made together.
Additionally, it’s likely that your parents are more worried than you are right now. They may want you to choose a college close to home. And depending on your personality, you may or may not agree with them.
But regardless of the reason, remember that you’ll have a whole new life at college, make sure that the decision you make – whether or not you make it with your parents – is one that you’ll be okay with in the long run.
Once you’re actually in college, be careful to not feel the pressure of picking a major. It’s okay to be “undeclared” for a couple years; most colleges don’t require students to choose majors until their sophomore or junior year.
ENTITY writer Emma DiMaggio was actually a physics major before switching to a journalism degree. She says, “I have way too many interests to choose just one [possible career]. With journalism, I know I’ll be able to move around and write about different topics and maintain my involvement in all the different areas I enjoy.”
If you’re unsure of your interests, take basic core requirements first to see what you like. In fact, it could be useful in the long run. “Don’t abandon subjects that you may need later,” writes The New York Times. “Students often don’t realize that many popular majors – psychology, social sciences, business – have math and science requirements.”
So the next time you’re worried about your future, take a breath and tackle the decisions one step at a time.
