Entering University can be a scary and equally exciting experience. But, picking out a major to focus your attention on can be the hardest part. Deciding what major to focus on is something that seems super easy but it’s something that may even take years for some people to find out while in college. When I first entered college in my freshman year I was a nutrition and food science major; struggling through the course work that deep down- I had no interest in. Fast forward to now, being a senior and loving my current major. Now, I get if some of you are now wondering why I would commit to a major I was not interested in. But, I have you covered with an answer for that too. Over the years, I have curated a list of ways to find out if the major you’re in is something you should reconsider.
Figure Out What Interests You
When I first entered college I was a nutrition and food science major who like I said, was not very passionate about the field. Or at least; not as passionate about it as other people in the major. But, I felt like I could be a nutritionist for a few reasons. I wanted to show my family I could be in a “serious” career, I wanted to show my family I was driven because I was in a science-based field, and I wanted to help others make a difference in their lives. But, the problem was all of my reasons for being in the major were for other people. I was interested in the field in terms of helping others become better versions of themselves. But I was not truly interested in the multiple layers of nutrition in the end. Luckily I had the opportunity of rooming with a fashion studies major by my sophomore year who introduced me to that major and some of the course material. Upon realizing I was extremely uninterested in my major I had to reevaluate my real interests. In order to do that I thought back to my childhood and what I really enjoyed doing for fun. I noticed all of my real interests growing up were related to art and fashion. Which is what eventually helped me decide what major I should pursue. However, just having a specific interest in something is not what should convince you of what major to decide on.
What Does Your Personality Say?
A lot of different websites have quizzes about people’s personalities but most of the time they are generalized to the person taking the test. If you can’t particularly pinpoint things that interest you, taking a personality test is a great way to go. Taking a test like the Meyers Briggs test is an easy way of narrowing down things that may possibly interest you or remind you of things you’re interested in. Once you receive the results you will not only receive your set personality type but they also give you a list of possible career paths to pursue and different qualities you have that are greater than others. Personally, I took this test in high school and college. I received the same results for both times; so for me, it was more so further confirmation about who I was and what I was interested in overall. However, you may even discover your personality type is true to you but you don’t currently have any experience in any of the interests or careers listed for your specific personality type. Don’t be afraid to rethink your current pursuits. You may discover something you actually really love. Remember to be honest with yourself while taking the quiz so your results are not false.
Experiment and Explore!
Make sure you get out and try different things! Just like taking an internship for college; you need to get real-life experience in any field you are considering joining. You will never find out what you enjoy doing without actually doing them! Internships are not the only way of getting real-life experience; any class projects you have are supposed to prepare you for real-world experiences. Therefore, if you really don’t have any interest or excitement in any way of doing an assignment. Don’t ignore that, it may be a way of telling that you should possibly try out a new major. So if you’re going into your freshman year of college; think of any clubs or activities you were involved in during high school. For example, if you had a class in Interior and Fashion Design, like me, that you looked forward to every day. You may want to look into joining the fashion program. Or if you were in any club that allowed you to mentor or is vocal for human rights that inspired you to become more vocal about human rights, a major to look into may be Social Work and Child Advocacy. In addition, if you are already in another major like I was, you can take a course for the major you’re considering entering that may count as an elective. That way you get to see if you may have an interest in the field while also completing some basic gen-ed courses you will need to complete eventually anyway. Might as well try something new you may love in the process. Lastly, never stop yourself from doing anything new because you may discover a new passion you never imagined.
In the end, your career choice is specific to you; and maybe even learn from my mistakes of why not to stay in a major or how to discover a new major if you’re unsure of what to do. From my own personal experience, once I switched into a fashion studies major, my academic and personal life changed for the better in so many ways. I was able to finally be in classes I looked forward to attending and my overall grades improved for the better. Hopefully by taking some of the tips given you will be able to evaluate your own academic career and possibly make it into the better if you’re conflicted in any way. Greater interest in the subject will ultimately result in better grades. And a greater college experience that will in turn transition into a fulfilling job and career in the future.