How to Choose a College Major that Aligns with Your Future Career Plans
Summary: Need summer overview
Choosing a college major that aligns with your future goals can be challenging, but when you know the right questions to ask, the process becomes a lot more manageable.
Key points:
Get answers to key questions:
- What are my strengths?
- What are my goals?
- What does my major of choice require?
- When should I pick a college major?
- How can I get involved?
- How well do I know my advisor?
- Can I take additional courses?
- How do I design a timeline for picking my major?
One of the toughest challenges in college is choosing a major. According to one source, about 80 percent of college students switch majors at some point during their college education. However, one quarter of the students who switched during senior year did not see their time to graduation increase.
In this article, we’ll offer up the key questions you’ll need to consider to take the stress out of choosing a major. And, we’ll take a look at some college prep courses that will help you align your interests and passions with a college major while you’re still in high school.
Eight questions to ask yourself while considering college majors
College is a balance of academics, extracurriculars, social life, and eventually honing in on a major that takes into account your strengths, passions, skills, and a vision for your future. Answer these eight questions, and you’ll be well on your way to finding your major.
- 1. What are my strengths? Let’s say you have strong organizational skills. This is essential in all jobs, whether your interests lie in marketing, event planning, or computer science. Perhaps you’re creative, and your passion lies in design. Get the opinions of teachers, close friends, and parents. Or take a test like the Myers-Briggs to discover your strengths and weaknesses.
- 2. What are my goals? Make a list. Then relate your goals to a specific field or fields that align with them. Ask yourself if you want to manage people, or does research have more appeal. If science is calling you, STEM majors are in great demand. The goals list will help you narrow down potential majors.
- 3. What does my major of choice require? Certain majors (think pre-med) require that you complete courses in biology or organic chemistry, for instance. Make sure that you can check these boxes before declaring a major.
- 4. When should I pick a college major? Most colleges encourage you to pick a major by your sophomore year, but this can vary by school. You should plan to read up on policies and deadlines regularly and talk to faculty and admissions counselors. As for what to pick, it’s important to remember: history majors can go to medical school, English majors may become lawyers, and a STEM major could lead to graphic design. Your major should be a subject you love; but it’s not necessarily a linear path.
- 5. How can I get involved? Join clubs that relate to your major of choice. For instance, if your interest is law, you might consider the law or debate club. Clubs, conferences, and extracurriculars are a great way to test out your interest and skills for a potential major.
- 6. How well do I know my advisor? A good advisor can be an advantage in selecting the right major. They can provide insights into the courses you’ll need to take, or even pinpoint a specific major based on your skills and interests. They can also review with you career paths that relate to majors, how elective credits will benefit you, and internship opportunities.
- 7. Can I take additional courses? You can add courses to your curriculum while you consider majors, but you can also start in high school with AP placement courses which can earn you college credit. And don’t forget, you can start in high school with college prep online courses.
- 8. How do I design a timeline for picking my major? Visit Prelum’s downloadable college checklist, which takes you from freshman year through senior year in high school. This is an essential tool with calculated steps to ensure you’re on track to find the right school and the right major.
Prelum partners with some of the nation’s most renowned universities to offer a wealth of college prep courses that allow you to experiment with subjects that could one day lead to a college major and future career. Let’s take a look at a few options.
College prep courses to consider in high school
Interested in medicine and want an array of options to choose from? Wake Forest University’s online medical programs for high school students includes a broad range of courses in the field. Options are varied and diverse. Categories include:
Georgetown University offers over 15 pre-college prep courses spanning a number of exciting categories, such as:
One outstanding feature of the Georgetown program is that three of the courses (with more on the way) are also formatted to allow you to earn college credit. These include:
If a smaller college is more to your liking, you’ll want to take a look at Case Western Reserve University. Their online STEM offering is truly outstanding; both for the number of courses available and the diversity of topics. Here’s a look at what this program offers:
Explore all the pre-college programs available from Prelum, and start your journey to a college major now.
Recommended Articles
