Whether you are a first generation student, or you simply have never put much thought into what you wanted to be when you grew up, we’ve all struggled with discovering what our true calling is. It is a frightening thing to be in college and unaware of what you want to do for the rest of your life, while it seems like everyone else is figuring it out. I was there, and almost all of us have been there before. Here are some tips to help you figure out what major is right for you.
Take Career Quizzes
A lot of people may think these are silly, but I found that they actually really help broaden your search. Take career quizzes or quizzes to help you find the right major for you. I wouldn’t say take one quiz and then declare your major as your result. However I would recommend taking a lot of these quizzes, comparing the results, and maybe even list them from most common to least common. Then do research and see which would interest you the most, and go from there. Research will help you throughout this process because you’re learning things you didn’t know about careers you had no idea even existed. There is an option for everyone, trust me.
Here are some options:
Determine How Hard You Are Willing To Work
I think this is the most important but so many people don’t take this into consideration. Think about how long you want to be in college. If you hate school, I would go for a career that requires certifications or an associate degree. But if you don’t mind school and you have a great work ethic, why not shoot for the stars and get a bachelor’s or even a master’s degree? But also don’t confuse the number of years in school with how much money you can make. There are plenty of careers that just after 2 years of school you can make just as much if not more than someone with a bachelor’s degree, do not degrade yourself. I think that considering how long you want to be in school is important otherwise it can result in wasted money on a degree you maybe didn’t even need for your career choice, or you don’t finish school because you dislike it. Consider your work ethic, your attitude toward school, and how much time you’re willing to put in.
Be Open To Options
Too many people come into college with ideas already in their head, and close their minds to other possibilities. It’s great to enter college having an idea of what you may want to study, however you shouldn’t close your mind to the possibility of other studies. You never know, it could be your true calling but you just didn’t give it a chance. Personally, the best decision I ever made was coming into GCC as a general studies major. I got the opportunity to take a variety of classes to discover what intrigued me most, which is how I discovered and declared my major. It is okay to not know and to explore your options; it can even be fun if you let it.
Consider Your Interests
This is huge, and was a major stepping stone into discovering what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Consider what you already like, what you have a true passion for. For me it was blogging, and social media platforms. I love being present on the web, and I love the way it allows me to connect with everyone else no matter how far they may be. So that’s how I decided to be a Business major with a concentration in social media and marketing, because after a few classes and consideration of what I’m interested in it was easy to decide this was the path for me. You can turn anything into a career with the right drive.
The moral of this entire message is not to stress yourself out. There are so many college students around the world that don’t know what they want to major in, but that’s not a big deal. College is where you are meant to really start developing this ideas, and discover yourself. Be patient, do your research, and it will come to you. Trust me, I promise, I was in the same position 2 months ago, but now I’m here with a declared major and a planned future for success.
“Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.”
-Unknown
-Danielle
Genesee Community College Blog 