Going into college, there is one tough, critical question that you need to figure out as the years fly by: Your college major, but if it’s taking you a while to decide what you want to do, you’re not alone; in fact, a recent Penn State report showed that 20-50% of students entering college come in undecided and around 75% of students switch majors!
There is a lot to consider before officially declaring what your major is, but were you right? Here are five ways to tell if you’re in the perfect major!
1. You’re Not Dying of Boredom (or Dreading the Future)
We’ve all had those days where we wake up, realize which class we hit that snooze alarm for and nonchalantly burrow deeper into the softness of our beds.
While not all classes will be a jolly good time even if you love your major, having a general appreciation for your classes, professors and studies is very important. Being anxious about not just one, but multiple present and future classes may be a sign that the major is not quite what you expected it to be, so might not be for you.
That being said, it does take some time to conquer those tedious intro classes to get into real material, so give it some time!
2. You’re Not Bothered By Other People’s Opinions of Your Major
Taylor Swift said it first: Haters are going to hate, so you got shake it off.
Majors are very peculiar in the sense that we sometimes may let other people’s opinions get to us, so we end up choosing the wrong major and going down the wrong path. That’s not to say you shouldn’t listen to other people’s opinions at all; however, you should ultimately be the main decider of your own career path.
Don’t let comments of others lower your enthusiasm, because in the end, you know what you love better than anyone else!
3. You’re Not Afraid of the Consequences That Come With Your Major
Every major (and I mean, every major) has downsides. Whether it is having to sell your soul to your studies or entering a field that may not have the best starting income, there are trade-offs going into any area of study.
There is not a lot that can be done to avoid these, and at some point, you have to figure out if these consequences will be worth it in the long run. If they are, then the sacrifices you make will be worth the benefits!
On a personal note, when I switched from an accounting major, which has been known to be a high-paying job even from the start, to a communications major, which varies and is a mystery as far as the money, it wasn’t as big of a deal as some might think. In the end, it came down to me being happy with what I did rather than dreading my work every day.
4. You Already Have New Ideas for How to Contribute to Your Field
When the light bulb in your brain turns on and you know you have the next big idea help your field, you may have found your calling!
If it looks to you that you are doing work in your major classes quickly and even doing your own extra research to further your own understanding, that really says a lot about how dedicated you are to the major and your potential industry.
New ideas don’t even have to be revolutionary in a sense either! Little by little, if you take your major seriously, a lot can happen from the smallest things. For example, to help increase social media engagement at a company I interned for over the summer, I tested different emoticons on the feed and saw huge improvements. It’s just a drop in the bucket in terms of how big the field of communications is, but something as small as this can go a long way and can help further your interest in your major.
5. You’re Happy
The golden rule in picking your major: Make sure you’re going to be happy! This major should keep you interested and intrigued, wanting to learn more and smiling.
You obviously don’t want to go through college half-heartedly with a major that adds a sour taste to your college experience. If you’re feeling compelled to tell your friends about the rad, cool things that are happening in your major classes and are content with where you are at in your college life, the best bet is that you finally found the perfect major for you!
You have to understand that no matter what your major may be, there is a big chance that it will not reflect the type of job you will have in the future. You do not have to be tied down to certain jobs because of your major; there’s so much out there! Do what you want and let your major be a stepping stone into what you really want to become.
