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Making a decision on which are the best majors for your future could be one of the most difficult decisions to make in your career. Remember to ask yourself “Which major is the right one for me?” and not “Which major should I choose?” Here is a guide on how to choose a major for you.
How Important Is Your Major Choice?
Your major is your focused field of study, and while it isn’t the last decider in your job or life, it does have a significant influence on where you’re headed and, more importantly, how much you’re paid. The distinction between a high school diploma and a B.A. Over a lifetime, a graduate’s salary is roughly $1 million if they know how to choose a major that is right for them.
The gap in income between the best and lowest-paying majors, on the other hand, is $3.4 million. This means that if money is your primary drive, your major will have a significant impact on your future wage. However, your major does not have to be centred on money, and your career does not have to be centred on a major.
A major does not bind you to a job title for life, especially in this day and age when career transitions are all too common. According to 2013 research, just 27.
3% of college graduates were employed in a field linked to their major. So, while your major is essential, knowing how to choose a major that is right for you is important too.
Questions To Consider On How To Choose A Major
1. What Are Your Strengths And Weaknesses?
One of the simplest methods on how to choose a major is to look at your talents.
For example, if you are particularly excellent with numbers, you may want to consider major possibilities such as accounting, economics, engineering, statistics, and so on.
This will assist you to thrive in your major, make your time at university simpler, and increase the likelihood that you will follow the degree as a successful profession. Another approach is to consider the things you are not excellent at or dislike doing.
If numbers aren’t your thing, you should generally avoid majors based on math or physics.
2. What Do You Like To Do?
Being skilled at something does not always imply appreciating it. It is necessary to know how to decide on a major, otherwise, it might lead you to a job you don’t want to do. Well, the odds of you being unhappy in the future are very high.
On the contrary, you’re far more likely to be pleased and involved in a major/job that centres around a subject or activity you’re interested in. In other words, something you’re enthusiastic about. You’ll most likely be more driven and focused, have a better college experience through networking, and form strong bonds with individuals in your field who share your interests. Your passions should play a significant influence in your main choice, but you must be careful not to confuse them with your “likings.” It is not the same as liking something and being enthusiastic about it.
Our preferences shift throughout time. What you like in high school may not be the same as what you like in college, or even 6 months later that same year. Your interests, on the other hand, are more profound.
They inspire and enthral you. Simply enjoying political science isn’t enough to get you to go to law school.
3. What Are Your Core Values?
What we mean by values are your essential convictions – something for which you stand. A purpose or a goal at the end of the day. Your values shape how you live any life and how you judge success, therefore they should undoubtedly affect your key choice. If you want to help orphan children find better homes, for example, you should select a major that contributes to and guides you towards that aim, such as social work.
Consider environmental law if you wish to contribute to the development of improved environmental legislation. However, because values and ideas are formed later in life, not everyone has them worked out when it comes time to how to choose a major.
4. In What Capacity Do You See Yourself In The Future?
You probably cringed when you read that question.
It’s ok, no one likes being asked that. Especially when they’re trying to figure it out for themselves. However, as terrible as it is, this is something you must consider while choosing a major.
Do you intend to work in a certain field in the future? Or, if you’ve already decided on a major, do you see yourself sticking to it long-term, or do you believe you’ll change jobs at some point? There is no way to answer these issues with confidence, but you should think about them. This is why it is valuable to know how to pick a major.
5. How Much Money Do You Want To Make?
As lovely as it would be for everyone to just do what they enjoy and be well compensated for it, the world does not work that way. Not every job/industry pays the same, and this is important to think about. This does not imply that you should major in the field that will provide you with the highest-paying jobs. Rather, while assessing your alternatives, know what to expect financially from each major.
What is the beginning salary? What is the average hourly wage? Is this in high demand, or is it projected to be so? Are salaries projected to rise or fall? There are certain sectors that pay well just for a few people at the top. That implies you’ll have to put in a lot of effort to get there. Others have decent average pay that will support you well after only a few years of experience.
Salary ranges for social workers, for example, range from k to k.
The highest end of this range does not appear to be a poor deal, but just 10% of social workers earn that much. That implies that if you’re thinking about majoring in social work but also want to make a solid and secure living, you should be prepared to work long and hard hours to get to that 10%.
Focusing on these questions will help you on how to choose the right major for you. It can lead you to a brighter future!
PS: If there’s anything more you’d like us to know about. Add it to the comments section!
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