Making decisions about your academics, major, and career can feel overwhelming because these decisions often have a rippling effect. We have been conditioned into believing that a wrong decision or one that isn’t perfect, is the end of the world. I’m here to tell you that it is never too late and there is no perfect time to make such decisions. It is a learning curve to make academic decisions out of inspiration and not desperation.
Talking about inspiration, the advice we often receive when thinking of picking a major/minor goes something along the lines of “follow your passion”, “there’s money in it”, “follow the footsteps of your parents” or “choose the mainstream popular major/minor combinations” and so on. I’m here to tell you what you should try to avoid while picking a major/minor and also offer some advice on navigating this decision.
Avoid choosing a major solely based on the advice others have given you
When choosing a major, take into account different perspectives. Have a corporate meeting with yourself, and think backwards. Would you enjoy studying that and how likely are you to resent making this decision? What are aspects of this decision that excite you as an individual? How do these prospective skills align with your personality?
Do not pick a major/minor solely because it’s easy
Challenge yourself if you have to because you’re only so young once. Learn things that aren’t your cup of tea so you figure out what is. As preachy as it sounds, no knowledge goes to waste and being intentional with your career is important, especially in your teens. It truly sets the tone for your 20s.
Do your research so well that you not only understand your prospective majors but also understand career progression in that particular field
See videos of a day in the life of XYZ professional/student, reach out to people who are in these careers and ask them your doubts, speak to people who are considering similar careers, and reach out to professors to understand whether or not your skill set and abilities are a match for that major or not.
Experiment and see for yourself
Try out courses if you have the liberty to either through college courses or online lectures and videos. This will bring you closer to being satisfied with your decision and not feeling the anxiety or fear of making a wrong choice.
Do not stress about the stress of making the decision
The fear of failing needs to be shattered so that you make your decision with surety and not for the sake of it.
While I understand that these decisions seem like the biggest decision you will ever make, when you zoom out and see the larger spectrum of things, you will see your journey as a roadmap and not as a perfect destination. So skip the GPS, take a different route, get yourself back on track, experiment and lastly don’t forget that nothing is as deep as it seems. I hope this helps!