Most college freshmen aren't ready to choose a major field of study right away. During your first year, the required general education courses will let you explore many potential majors in the humanities and the social and natural sciences.
But here's a word of warning: When it's time to declare your major, be sure you've done your homework.
What does this mean? It means you are now taking real steps to define your future, and you want to make sure these steps will lead you to a career that will be satisfying. Think carefully about why you are making this particular career choice. Is it something you really want to do, or is it more of a family expectation? Does the nature of the work get you excited, or is the salary the only appealing thing about this field?
It's best to choose a major and career because they are great matches for your individual interests, talents and personality. You may want to have a vocational assessment with a qualified career counselor, or take some of the online career tests such as the CareerPro - Personal Profile, or What Career is for You?. Try The Career Interests Game to find out which careers match your preferences.
When you finish college, you will no doubt want more than "the daily grind" to look forward to. If you want to enjoy going to work each day, now is the time to do a good job researching your chosen field. Interview people who work in your field of interest, or explore the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Spend some time "job shadowing", and observe first hand the reality of the careers you're considering.
Thorough career exploration should provide answers to these questions:
- What job duties will fill my days?
- What kind of people will I be working with?
- What is the outlook for this occupation?
- Is it growing or declining?
- Will I have to relocate?
- What wages can I expect at first, and what is the likely earning curve for this occupation?
- What are the opportunities for advancement in this field?
There is another important reason to invest sufficient time researching your college major before declaring it: college costs. The average student changes majors three times. According to Collegeboard Online, the average costs for tuition, fees, books, supplies, room & board, transportation and personal expenses at a Public in-state college is $10,069 annually. The same expenses at a Private college currently average $21,424 per year. Each change of major means going back to pick up the courses and credits required by the new program, thus increasing your overall education time and expense.
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