by Steven Tagle
Picking an Undergraduate Major: 16 Important Considerations
Choosing your undergraduate major is a big decision. Before you settle on one, consider these suggestions to help you identify the right choice for your personality, skills, and aptitudes.
College Courses
- Browse your college bookstore and look over the textbooks for courses in majors you are considering. Scan the table of contents for each one. Do the topics covered interest you? Do you want to read these books?
- Meet with your academic advisor to review course descriptions and requirements for majors that interest you.
- Many colleges allow you to “shop” courses at the beginning of the term: you can attend the first few classes, pick up the syllabus, and see whether the class would be a good fit. Take advantage of this period to try out a variety of courses, including ones in subject areas you’ve never considered as a possible major.
- During your freshman and sophomore years, enroll in courses within different schools and majors to see what really engages you. You can use many of these courses to fulfill general education requirements.
- If you are interested in an area but not sure you want to major in it, consider pursuing a minor in it instead or taking elective courses in the subject.
- Build relationships with faculty members, especially those who teach courses you find really interesting. The conversations you have with these individuals outside of class can have a big impact on your academic and career decisions.
- Remember that even though choosing a major is important, the majority of courses you take in college will not be in your major! Use college as a time to explore.
Career Exploration
- Most college career centers have great resources (many of which are available online) for career exploration. Read about the professional opportunities related to possible majors, and learn about the various paths to those fields.
- Take career assessments at your college career center and meet with a career coach afterward to discuss the results. Learning more about your patterns of skills, interests, and values can help you decide on a major.
- Are you considering a career that requires graduate study? Review course requirements for majors in your intended field of study to make sure you can take the prerequisites for graduate school.
- Talk to recent college graduates, classmates, and alumni from your college to learn about their majors and career paths. Remember that college majors and careers are related, but not in the direct way you might expect. A psychology major might go into fundraising; a business major might work for a nonprofit; an English major might go into marketing. Ask close friends and family members what they think you might be good at, but be thoughtful about any career advice you receive; your path is ultimately your own.
Activities, Jobs, and Internships
- Think about how you like to spend your time outside of school. What do you like to read about? What kinds of podcasts do you listen to? Whom do you follow on social media? How you choose to spend your time can give you clues about your interests.
- Get involved in cocurricular activities that give you a chance to explore your interests. Do you think you might like political science? Run for a position in student government. Have you thought about marketing as a career? Become the social media coordinator for a student club or organization. Experiences outside of the classroom will reveal new and useful information about your interests.
- Get a job on campus. Working as a research assistant for a professor or in one of the college offices can connect you to mentors who can guide you as you explore career options.
- Participate in undergraduate research. Many schools offer student grants that allow you to travel and study a particular issue or develop a project you propose. Experiential learning is a great way to discover what you are interested in.
- Will you have the opportunity to do an internship as part of your undergraduate program? Gaining work experience in a field could solidify your interest or help you realize that an area you were drawn to is not what you expected. Keep an eye out for summer opportunities on department and club email lists.
After investing in this research and some of these activities, you will feel confident that you have chosen a major you are truly interested in, one you will be successful studying, and one that will provide you with a sense of accomplishment. Yes, there are practical considerations to choosing your major, but remember, a major is only practical for you if it matches your interests, skills, and passions.
A Stanford graduate and the recipient of prestigious fellowships from the Fulbright Program and the Institute of Current World Affairs, as well as a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, Steven Tagle has taught and mentored students for 20 years. As a published writer, journalist, and former speechwriter for the U.S. ambassador to Greece, he knows how to draw out applicants’ unique stories and craft compelling personal statements that help their applications stand out from the pack. Click here to get in touch.
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