Deciding on a study major is quite a big decision. It could affect how your career pans out for the rest of your life. It could also determine how happy your college years are and the different friends you make to share them with. All this can seem extremely daunting when you make a decision about what to study, but there are several things that you can think about to try and make the decision easier for yourself.
Think first about what your favorite subject is. The more you enjoy something, the more you are likely to put in the time and effort necessary to do well in it. If you wake up in the morning dreading going to class then chances are that you have made the wrong decision and will resent your major. If this happens then you are much less likely to do well in college and go on to getting good qualifications and a decent job. Only you can decide which subject is your favorite, so don’t let friends, family or teachers try to change your mind. It is up to you to make the decision since it concerns your future.
Even though studying something you enjoy is important, many of us have more than one favorite subject. If this is the case then there are other ways in which you can make the decision about what to choose. If you have more than one option, try to look at the job prospects for each one to see which will stand you in better stead for getting that all important first job when you graduate. Whilst getting high grades can help you get a job whatever you study, there are some subjects which will make you more employable than others. This shouldn’t be the only reason you use to choose your study major, but there is no harm in using it as a differentiating factor.
Some subjects are allocated more funding by your college or university and will have better facilities. Whilst the learning environment is not the only determining factor in how well you do at college, it has been proven to make a big difference in some cases. If the teaching is better in one department than another, or you find it easier to understand one subject than another, this is probably a sign that that is the subject you should choose for your study major.
Whilst there are many things that you should take into consideration when you make the decision about what to study, there are also several things that you should ignore. Don’t allow anyone to talk you into doing something you don’t want to. If you don’t make the decision for yourself then you could grow to resent both the person making the decision and the course itself. Don’t choose a subject just because your friends are doing it. Just because something is the perfect course for someone close to you doesn’t mean that it is what you should be doing too. As long as you make sure that you make the decision for yourself and do something which you know you will enjoy even through the tough times, you can’t go wrong in deciding what to major in.