10 Questions to Ask Before Picking a Major

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It is really unfortunate that many high school students are not getting the full benefit of guidance and testing available. The price for aptitude tests and private guidance may put off some parents but it is truly worth it. I saw many students pushed into fields like engineering because of the lure of a big paycheck and job openings at the end, their parents not realizing that the young person's skills were simply in another place. Not to say that we can all break into Hollywood film making, but a good career counselor can help find easier alternatives with tests like Ball, Highlands, and others.
It is a shame that so many employers do not understand the value of students with all sorts of degrees, not only something clearly vocation like business. On the other hand, some institutions could better prepare students for a range of possibilities. I recently heard of a business unable to find a bilingual speaker for a Swiss account. There were plenty of language graduates, but there wasn't an equal emphasis on the basics and they were unable to feel confident in a conversational exchange, despite having read culture and history from French texts and medieval poetry. It is a little like being taught Perl, Java, etc. but remaining unable to open and answer a simple email. No one was thinking of any options besides continuing in academia, which is clearly not realistic.

Mary 9:31AM April 14, 2011

Our culture really has it backwards -- the coursework is not the career, and just because you have a favorite subject, it does not mean you should major in it without thought of what you can do with it (job or career). Here is a much smarter way to approach the decision:
For a rewarding career and successful college experience-
1. Participate in a comprehensive career assessment that includes a credible aptitude battery (like the Ball Aptitude Battery), interest assessment, values aurvey, and personality assessment. Have a credentialed career professional interpret the results, create a personalized list of 6 to 10 career recommendations (and related college majors)that are a best fit for you, and spend 1.5 to 3 hours helping you understand what your profile of natural talents and interests means and how it bridges to tasks, jobs, careers and work environments. This kind of assessment requires a financial investment, as does anything of value; it costs about the same as 1 college course in a public university. Money well spent, when considering the total investment in a college education!
2. In the next few months, learn more about the careers on your list by reading about them (Occupational Outlook Handbook and Career Voyages is a great start.) Also check out professional association websites. Narrow the list of potential career choices to 2 or 3, and do several informational interviews (see book What Color Is Your Parachute by Richard Bolles) and job shadows, if possible, to get a reality check on the career.
3. Use criteria to make your choice, then put a plan into place - write it down or put it online, and make steps measurable, specific, observable, and assign target dates for each. Use an "accountability partner" to keep you moving on this whole process - probably someone other than a parent. :)
This process, a Career Literacy basic skill that applies to individuals of any age making career decisions, will accelerate the career/college major choice process, make it more accurate, and often saves money by avoiding additional semesters or years of college. Going to college with a plan is critical today because hiring managers are looking for the best prepared college graduates, not just a young adult with a bachelors degree. Also, high school students in their junior and senior year are not too young to make these decisions, if done in this manner. In fact, this process exposes them to excellent options they may never have considered. They become more directed, motivated and confident as they begin college -- and are more likely to persist to graduation, and in less time.

Paula Kosin of IL 10:14PM January 04, 2010

Vocational Guidance Counselors are a dying breed in public high schools (particularly here in California) and their absence is reflected in the number of college students in majors that they simply don't have the skills or aptitude for, much less the desire. Engineering is a field I am familiar with and the number of students that declare a major in engineering and then have to change has always remained about the same. Half the students enrolling in an engineering curriculum either drop out or change majors. Physics, chemistry and calculus remain the bars an aspiring student must clear on the track to an engineering degree and these are viewed by engineering departments around the world as the discriminators for those that will probably make it and those that probably won't. A great many of the students who don't make it never realized what was involved. They were never told.
Unfortunately, this is further compounded by the number of colleges and universities that have an enormous potpourri of curriculum's that have no prospect for meaningful employment in that field, if there is a field associated with that curriculum. These are curriculum that are attractive to idealistic youth established by liberal academics convinced of their social "worth". That are frequently not of much fiscal worth. Or they are fields where there are far more applicants than jobs. One young woman I know of got a degree in graphic design and actually got a job, but discovered that there were so many applicants for her job that her employer could readily overwork and underpay her. Another's life passion was film and history and whose goal in life was to make historical documentaries. He got degrees in film and history from a reputable university and spent a year in Los Angeles trying to break into the industry. What he discovered (that no one had told him) was that the movie business is extremely nepotistic and almost impossible to break into from the outside.
Realistic guidance for these young people at an age where decisions and changes they make can have a meaningful impact on their lives is essential, and too often missing. Until that changes the consequences will remain.

Alan of CA 12:36PM December 31, 2009

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bonni of NY 3:55AM December 19, 2009

I strongly disagree with point ten on the above list. Students should declare a major right away unless they are completely undecided on what to study. Often departments will have advisors who are familiar with the courses, professors, and job opportunities in not only that major but in other related majors - and some attractive upper-level courses are available to students who have declared a relevant major.
Besides, it's not like you're stuck with your decision - changing a major can be as simple as filling out a form.

Tim R. of IA 2:48PM December 18, 2009