Selecting a Major or Majors

It can feel lonely when you're asked to introduce yourself by stating your "name, year, and major" and it seems like everyone else has something to say. In reality, however, students who have declared a major upon arriving at college may very well change their minds. National statistics vary, but experts say about 20-50% of entering college students are undecided, and at least 50% of students change their majors at least once. In a 2006 survey of the entering class at Le Moyne College, nearly 10% of respondents clearly viewed their major as “undecided.”

Since so many students end up changing their majors, you may actually be ahead of the game by exploring your options at the beginning of your college career instead of later on. By questioning several options early, you will increase your chances of making a choice that suits you.

It's true that if you're studying accounting you may end up being an accountant. But many majors do not lead directly into a career that mirrors that major’s coursework. What you are probably doing is getting a degree in the liberal arts or sciences that will give you breadth in a field but will also teach you practical professional skills in writing, critical thinking, problem-solving and communication. These skills are transferable to almost any career path and are useful whether you go on to graduate school or employment.

Choosing a major can feel like choosing a path for your entire life, which can be an overwhelming thought! As we already discussed, a major doesn’t always lead directly to one career (for example, a psychology major does not need to become a psychologist). In reality, most people have 4.5 careers over a lifetime and work for an average of 10 different employers. With today’s global job market, there is definitely a trend toward career flexibility.

Have you ever heard: A liberal arts degree equals no job? Has a relative ever said: major in business so that you can be assured of getting a job? While it makes sense to major in business if you're actually interested in business, there are many other paths that can lead to employment. Plus, job markets change so rapidly that what you pick now may not be a viable career in 4-5 years. Liberal arts majors are particularly valuable to companies because of the generalist skills they have developed in their classes. Many employers also look for diversity in their employees, so the summer that you spend on the archaeological dig or working in customer relations could prove valuable to a future employer. What you should focus on now is majoring in something that you love, and the Office of Career Services can help you market the skills you have learned in several ways.

In most cases, you can major in anything and still get into professional schools. Universities like to have students with a variety of undergraduate majors to give their classes some diversity. You'll want to take the required coursework for med school, but you don't have to be a chemistry or biology major. The important thing is to do very well in your coursework, whatever major you choose.

In other words, some students think there’s a quick fix. “Someone will tell me what I’m good at, or I'll wait for the lightning bolt to strike”, and I'll "just know" what to major in. In reality, while there some self-assessments that can give you more information about yourself, the ultimate decision is up to you. You need to figure out your skills and interests and explore from there. It takes time and personal reflection. Simply waiting around for inspiration or having someone tell you “you’re good at this” is not enough.