by May Plaige

Created on: November 10, 2008

There are many ways to go about choosing a major. Unfortunately, throwing darts, signing up for whatever your best friend is doing, or seeing which department has the coolest fraternity or sorority are not the best ways. If you're ready to stop hoping your horoscope will give you the answer, you can look at some of these tried-and-true techniques in choosing a major:

LOOK AT YOUR TRANSCRIPTS: Are there any subjects that you regularly earned high grades in? For many, consistently doing well in a particular subject is a sign of aptitude and interest. Even if you don't know specifically what major you want, knowing that you perform well in history might mean that you should be looking for a college that has a number of major options available in social science.

LOOK AT WHAT YOU ENJOY DOING: Are there any classes you enjoyed going to? Are there any extracurricular activities you did that could relate to a major? If it seems you never liked any subject, which classes did you least mind showing up to? Being honest with yourself about what exactly you liked about the classes can even help you narrow your options down. For example, if you realize that you never minded science class because oftentimes you got to do experiments, and you enjoyed that, then looking at your colleges' lab courses may prove valuable to you.

LOOK AT THE COURSE CATALOG: If you are already in college, undecided, and looking at your course catalog like it's written in Latin (assuming you haven't studied Latin), rest assured that you're already going in the right direction. Start by looking at the college courses you have already taken and/or are taking now. Which do you enjoy? Which are you doing well in? Look at other courses in the same disciplines as the ones you most enjoy, and then look to see which majors require those courses. If you aren't particularly enjoying any of your courses thus far, browse the course descriptions for other possibilities. Read the course descriptions closely; do they sound like courses you would really enjoy being in? Choosing your major based on your comfort level and enjoyment of the courses it requires will help to ensure that you have a successful college career.

LOOK AT THE CAREERS AVAILABLE: Some people choose their majors by choosing their career first; they decide what they want to be and what they need to major in to get there. Not everyone is able to think that far ahead, though. Many careers these days require a degree in any field. That may make your chosen major seem unimportant, but make sure that the career possibilities that your major will open you up to are careers that you will be interested in come graduation, just in case. A Bachelor's in Psychology doesn't allow you to become a psychologist without moving on to higher levels of education, so if more schooling isn't in your plans but you're itching to learn more about the human mind, it's worth your time to find out what you can do once you've earned that diploma.

Choosing a major is not always a simple process. Many people try just one or two of the techniques above, while others try them all but in a completely different order. Hundreds of students in colleges nationwide change their majors more than once, meaning that they restart the process of choosing a few times during their college career. Don't be afraid to make mistakes; the change of major form is always there, and as long as you make your decision within the first two years, most of your courses will apply to all majors, so there is little fear of lost credit. Take your time, choose what's right for you, and put this worry aside so that you can enjoy college life as it was meant to be!

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