Choosing a College Major

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Most colleges require students to choose a major, or at least a specific school, when they apply. There are thousands of majors offered in US colleges, from electrical engineering to music theory. Choosing the right college is important, but choosing the right major may be even more critical.

What is a College Major?

A major is an area of study you focus on during your time in college. A majority of your college classes will focus on that topic, and it determines the type of bachelor's degree you will graduate with.

How to Choose Your Major

Ask yourself these questions to help you decide:

• Did you have a favorite subject in school? If so, which one?
• How much time and money are you willing to invest in your higher education?
• Do you have a dream job?

Having a clear end goal can be helpful. For example, if your dream job is to be a doctor, you may consider how much you enjoyed your science classes in high school, and if you're willing to invest the time and money to eventually go to medical school.

Try taking The Princeton Review's Career Quiz. It will suggest some professions for you, and you may be able to narrow down the list of majors you are considering based on it. And set a time to job shadow professionals in a field you are interested in to ask them about their education background and career expectations.

Don't Feel Pressured

If you don't know what you want to do with your life, that's okay. You may have to apply for college with an undeclared major and see what classes you enjoy taking to help you decide. If you can't decide on one, don't forget that you can always double or even triple major with your studies. There are also options for different minors, which you can earn with significantly fewer classes than a full major.

Once you choose a major, you can always switch if you decide to pursue another area of study. With many programs requiring students to take general electives first, you should have enough time to figure out what you want to major in before it becomes too late to switch to a different major. So don't feel too pressured about deciding on a major, and get ready to have the best four years of your life!