Choosing a Major

[RubberDucky451]

I'm in my final year of high school and I'm being pressured by my parents to choose a school and then a major. The problem is, i really don't know what I'm doing . I have interests but i don't know much about the working environment of specific jobs or what I'll be doing. I know that a lot of college students change their majors but I still feel indifferent about the whole situation.

Discuss:

How did you choose your major? (Besides what you were interested in)
Is going into a college blind uncommon?
Differences between the education system in the US vs other countries
Recommended aptitude tests?

 

[stcecilia]

It's totally normal to go into college not knowing what you want to do. I started as a philosophy / archaeology double major and now I'm doing opera and loving it. Whatever you pick, you can switch later so try not to sweat it too much.

 

[Decaf]

Most universities don't require that you choose a major until your junior year, but to get through in 4 years, you should know by the time you become a sophomore. That being said clearly there's room to experiment a bit as a freshman.

If I were to do it over again I would choose the three most compelling majors and take a significant course from each my freshman year. A lot of students take their "filler" classes (like writing, language or math) early, but it really doesn't help you decide what you want to do.

What majors intrigue you? There's a wide range of experience on this forum for you to draw on.

 

[GarmGarf]

Differences between the education system in the US vs other countries

Over here in Ireland, there is no such thing as majors and minors. One has to choose the entire course they wish to pursue when in high school. Some courses have a specialization choice (like a general engineering course - civil; mechanical; electronic; etc) and some courses contain choice in a broad range of subjects (like a general arts course), but all these choices are internal to the specific course (a few courses also allow for an extra elective subject or so).

(For example, I recently got accepted into the course "Physics with Astronomy". The only choice I have that I know about is whether I do "Galactic Astronomy" or "General Relativity" in 3rd and 4th year, and I get to choose 2 out of 5 options in 4th year.)


However, if one finds them self unhappy in their course, it's difficult changing it. One could attempt to transfer to another course, but if it isn't relevant to their initial course, or if they got poor grades, then they may have to repeat first year in the new course.

 

[Invoke Ninja's True Power]

I started out as an electronics major because I had to pick something and I started out going to a technical college. BIG MISTAKE. I dropped out for a few years. Now I am going to school for a Science major. Couldn't decide so I am at least going for a broad category of my interests. It doesn't matter what the degree is, as long as you have one your job prospects increase vastly. Only problem is its a community college I'm going to now and I have to figure out what to do about getting a 4-year degree. 2-year is better than nothing but 4-year really opens up a lot of doors. Doesn't make a bit of difference what the degree is. Of course specific fields require specific degrees but meh...I'll figure it out as I go.

 

[RubberDucky451]

I started out as an electronics major because I had to pick something and I started out going to a technical college. BIG MISTAKE. I dropped out for a few years. Now I am going to school for a Science major. Couldn't decide so I am at least going for a broad category of my interests. It doesn't matter what the degree is, as long as you have one your job prospects increase vastly. Only problem is its a community college I'm going to now and I have to figure out what to do about getting a 4-year degree. 2-year is better than nothing but 4-year really opens up a lot of doors. Doesn't make a bit of difference what the degree is. Of course specific fields require specific degrees but meh...I'll figure it out as I go.

I'll probably do community college. I too have wide interests. I have strayed more towards art then math and science. I love the creative aspect of art, it's very engaging.

 

[Latro]

I took chemistry my sophomore year of HS (which is mandatory in my county, pretty much). I loved it. I took two more years of it afterward (and unfortunately got only one semester worth of credit due to a really absurd university policy; I could've (and tbh should've) tested out of the second semester of the class). I did well, and I enjoyed it. I'm studying it in university now. My only issue is in trying to find a research topic to try to work on in undergrad and grad school, but I think that's not quite as difficult as having to choose a major AND an application while studying in undergrad.

Anyhow, that doesn't help much, since I know most people don't get this kind of luck, but it's what happened to me.

 

[James Black]

I'm majoring in Computer Information Systems at a community college at the moment. Theres too many things I want to do, but I figure programming will give me a good start at something that I hope I enjoy and a way to make money/continue education in other fields. My goals are really more toward the "Game Design" area, but the 3D Modeling course (just one of them) of my college is premature and requires too many uninteresting/useless prerequisites, so straight programming for now.

Really, whatever you enjoy in your free time, look into that as a career. (and hence major/etc) Sadly, I enjoy Maths, problem-solving, and games, so this seemed the natural path of progression.

 

[Anling]

I'd say just take a wide range of classes your first year and see what you think of the possibilities.

 

[Jenn]

Major in what YOU want, not what parents or counselors encourage you to do. Even if it means backpedaling and taking other classes.

I let my father pressured me into remaining an art major because he didn't want me staying in school another semester or two that I would need to in order to backpedal a bit to change my major to a science.

BIG MISTAKE. I should have ignored him and paid for the extra semesters myself. I'm now 33 and going back to school to study what I should have studied when I was 20.

 

[Enne]

I will make a suggestion to you that I wish had been made to me in my first year which I then made to myself in my second year and then acted upon in my second and subsequent years.

Find a quiet place. Figure out what's important to you. What gets you excited (er...mentally). What you want to work on, experience, and leave behind. It can be outlandish as long as it's genuine. Once you've figured out what 'clusters' of human development fit you, work backwards until you arrive at a major or degree concentration subject area that best reflects the skills you wish to acquire in order to achieve those goals. You're an NT, and an INTP no less, so it's (highly) possible that there isn't a name (or a conventional title) for what you want to be. That's okay. But to move forward in this arena, you need to first concentrate on finding out or getting in touch with what's important to you.

A side note, as mentioned above; avoid hand-me-down dreams. Period.

 

[Morel Panic]

A side note, as mentioned above; avoid hand-me-down dreams. Period.

I wouldn't say "avoid" them so much as don't let them affect your decisions. Most of my extended family majored in the engineering/science area, but I think it would be a huge mistake for me to avoid that area, since it is one of my major aptitudes and interests.

Genetics plays a role in personality and interests, and while I very strongly agree that you should not let family members run your life, I think that looking to people similar to you (often your family, not always) is a good source of ideas for a major/career.

( I'm just starting college this semester, these are my thoughts only so far along )

 

[nightowl]

Hi, Ducky!
Some really good advice already posted here! The only things I can really add is a reminder that just because you major in one area does not mean that you are locked into it for the rest of your life and, if you think you may be interested in a particular area (for example, Architecture to combine your love of art with math), a part-time job in a field that interests you not only helps the wallet but also can give more insight if that is a good path for you.... good luck!
Went through this a couple of years ago with my daughter so I understand where you are. She actually entered college as an undecided, took an Anthropology course with a very dynamic prof and fell in love with Cultural Antropology (she's an ENFP, btw).