5 Tips for Choosing a College Major

By Thea Litsios

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” For those ready to choose a college major, the question becomes even more pressing. Although we were asked this question numerous times in our youth, it is never an easy question to answer. For 15-year-old students and older, it is still a difficult question to answer. With interruptions in education from Covid-19 restrictions and online learning for long periods of time, many students are struggling more than ever to decide which college major to choose. With the cost of a college education rising higher and higher, the pressure is on to “get it right.”

With that in mind, here are five tips for helping you choose a college major:

1Do some self-exploration.

We can all fall into the rut of thinking, “I know all about myself,” and we stop seeking. The following questions are designed to assist you in becoming curious about yourself again. Ask the questions with an open mind and a willingness to answer differently than you have before. If writing comes easily, then write away. If you like talking more, then consider recording your answers, or even talking with a friend and recording the conversation.

Allow yourself to dream and fantasize. Don’t limit yourself by “reality.” You’re brainstorming here. You want to get a lot

of ideas down; you’ll edit them later. You might even want to set a timer and get as many ideas down in 3-4 minutes as you can. Make this fun. Don’t make it another homework exercise.

Answer the following questions honestly.

• What do you daydream about doing?

• What activities have you always loved?

• Take a survey of books, TV shows, movies and more that you have read or watched. Are there any common themes?

• What continues to hold your attention, even after a long period of time?

• Who do you admire and why?

2Work with a professional.

You can be assisted in your search for a college major by a professional, either a guidance counselor or a career coach. Getting a different perspective can be helpful. Sometimes all we may need is to become aware of options we didn’t know existed.

Professionals can give you access to assessments that can help you get a clearer picture of your skills, talents, strengths and personality. They are trained to evaluate these assessments and offer options that are in alignment with your personal strengths and desires.

It can also be helpful to have the ear of someone who is not related to you. Family expectations and traditions can sometimes make it difficult to see the best career path for you. An outside, neutral perspective can be helpful in this way.

3Separate your desires from others’ expectations. This tip might apply to some more than others, but if it applies to you, make sure you don’t skip this step. Others’ expectations can come in many forms. It can range from joining a family member’s field, to becoming part of a family business, to following a family tradition. The problem arises when your desires conflict with those expectations. It can also be a problem if you have never allowed yourself to think beyond those family expectations to other options.

Sometimes an individual’s strengths and talents are simply not suited to take

on the expected role. This can cause a lot of stress or the feeling of being trapped. If this applies to you, it becomes important to begin to explore what you desire apart from the expectations of others.

Honest communication is important at this point. A career coach or guidance counselor can facilitate this conversation with family members.

4Think outside the box. If you are feeling particularly stuck, it can help to do something completely outside your comfort zone. Travel or taking a gap year fall into this category. Travel is one of the best ways to expand your view of the world and yourself. If you are someone who has never left the country, then international travel can be one of the most exhilarating experiences. Being outside of the environment that you are familiar with, speaking a different language and being exposed to other cultures is an education like no other.

When you are in a different environment, you see yourself differently. You are outside the box that defines who you are. It becomes

easier to see possibilities that didn’t exist in your hometown.

If you are someone who likes structure, then a gap year can be a great option. There are many gap year programs, both in the U.S. and abroad. Besides structure, they offer you the companionship of your fellow travelers, a focused program and an easier place to land if traveling abroad. Gap years can offer a wonderful way of exploring career ideas that you have been thinking about, but without making a commitment.

5Interview or shadow someone who is doing what you would like to do.

Sometimes we have an idea of what we would like to do, but we don’t have enough information to make an informed decision. One of the best ways to know what a career is really like is to interview or shadow someone who is doing what you would like to do.

Most professionals are very happy to have a conversation with you. Someone more than likely helped them by doing the same thing. Interviewing someone in your desired profession gives you the

opportunity to ask the hard questions. You want to know the pros and cons of a particular career, not just the good stuff.

If it’s possible, shadow someone doing your preferred career. Spending a day with someone in a given profession can give you even more insight. There can be a huge gap between the reality of a career and the image that is projected. For instance, you might be thinking of going into forensic science because of the many crime TV shows about this topic. The TV portrayal of a career and the actual day to day experiences of that career can be wildly different.

Give yourself time to explore some of these five steps. Remember to allow yourself to become curious and to go beyond the preconceived ideas of what you are and what you can do.

Thea Litsios is a career coach and a Kolbe consultant. She helps individuals from high school through mid-life find a career that lights them up. Connect at 203-693-1493 and TheaLitsios.com for more information and to schedule a free 30-minute consultation call.