Picking a major is a major decision (pun intended!). This post is not for those who are absolutely sure what they want to do for the rest of their lives. If you are in that group, more power to ya! If you’re not sure what you want to major in, this post is for you. I want to offer some advise to those who don’t already have it all figured out.
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One of the biggest traps undergrads get caught up in is trying to plan beyond their scope of vision. Let’s begin by getting in the right mindset. In the next 20 years you are going to go through very significant changes as a person. It’s safe to say in 20 years you may not recognize the person you are now compared to who you will be then. Knowing this, it’s not wise to ask yourself “What do I want to do for the rest of my life?”. It’s impossible to plan any more than 10 years out. You should restrict your planning to the next 5-10 years after graduation. EXCEPTION: You can plan your finances for the rest of your life. That’s math, nothing mysterious about it. You should be starting on that now. Meet with a financial advisor and start saving towards retirement immediately. The earlier you begin investing, the earlier you can retire and the happier you’ll be. When you’re 65 money will still be required to buy things.
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Now that you are planning realistically, figure out the first job you want after graduation and the jobs you will want to do for the next 5-10 years. Make a list of them. Do as much research as possible. It needs to be work which will provide personal satisfaction and meet your financial goals.
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Based on the jobs you choose in step 2, pursue the degree required to get the job.
Note: Don’t get too focused on the downsides of your initial job. Remember this analogy: If you live in the most beautiful mansion in the world, the trash still needs to be taken out. That first job is going to be your foot in the door. As a rookie, your job may not include the glorious things you’ve always dreamed of but that’s because you haven’t proven yourself worthy of those things yet. Don’t be prideful. You need to prove yourself as being excellent before you can ascend to greatness.
As you trek through this journey called life you may change directions and that’s perfectly normal. If you do change, repeat steps 1-3.