Growing up, I had a very one-sided view about what college was and what you could do there. My take on it was that you went to college to get a Bachelor’s degree. I remember being drilled by family members on the importance of going to college. If we’re being honest, I didn’t even know it was possible to get anything other than a four-year degree. At the time, career and technical programs weren’t as heavily promoted to high school students as they are now. Instead, there was a huge emphasis on the value of a four-year degree. Even today, students miss out on a lot of potential opportunities — often because they don’t know about them!
We gravitate toward majors or programs we are familiar with — maybe because someone we know works in that field. Competitive programs like engineering, nursing, psychology and business are also popular. There are thousands of majors to choose from. At the end of the day, though, focus on following a path that your future self will thank you for. Maybe your goal is to someday land a high-paying position. Maybe you want to find a career that allows you to make money doing something you love. Either way, identifying your values will help you make sense of your options when it comes to pursuing higher education.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, one way to clear the fog is to pinpoint what you’re good at. If you already have a general understanding of the skills you possess, choosing which majors you want to research may become clearer, but if not, make a list (and if you’re really stuck, ask your family, friends, teachers, boss or mentors to help you). My older brother, for example, has always been a really talented artist. He knew from a young age that he was passionate about art and wanted to make a career out of it. For him, it wasn’t necessarily about the money; his focus was on doing something he loved. His philosophy was that if he did something he loved, the money would eventually come — and if it didn’t, it wasn’t the end of the world. He’d still be happy because he was following his passion.
That said, never disregard a major that intrigues you due to lack of experience. After all, college is a place to learn, and you can always improve skills by taking classes on them. For any subject you’re interested in, find out what kind of education or training you need to get there, and this will also give you some direction. Maybe you’re passionate about health, and you want to understand how the body reacts to sickness and disease; you should look into a Biomedical Sciences major! Identifying your interests is another great way to start figuring out what you want to do with your life.
Once you start to narrow down possible majors, see if you can shadow someone in that career field. You can also look for internships, which are another great way to determine if a career aligns with your academic and personal interests. (Side note: EFSC offers opportunities for students to participate in internships through the Career Center.) As a bonus, the skills you gain through practical experience will make you more valuable as an employee (and sometimes even lead to job opportunities after graduation). I highly recommend it, because I ended up changing my major after two years — and I could have saved myself a lot of time and money if I had taken the time to shadow someone in that industry first!
Before you decide what kind of field you want to enter, carefully consider your options, and ask yourself the following five questions:
- What are my strengths?
- What are my interests?
- What are my skills?
- What education or training do I need?
- Are there jobs available in this career?
The career you choose will have a big impact on your future. It can affect things like your identity, personal fulfillment, lifestyle, income, family and retirement. As you start to evaluate what’s right for you, ask yourself why you want to go that route, and don’t let the opinions or expectations of others sway your decision. Remember: The choice is yours, and yours alone.
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