Deciding what to major in during college is a tricky one. But to rewind even before college I have one advice for the graduating senior. If you have the opportunity to choose between schools, look into all the majors that they offer and begin forming a list of fields that you might be interested in. Choosing the school with the higher number of your interests will give you more options later. I personally did not do this, and although I will never regret coming to UNC, I sometimes wonder where I would be now had I majored in something entirely different that UNC doesn’t offer.
I think the key to deciding a major is to explore different fields and find what you like or maybe just don’t hate. If you’re dead set on a career path then by all means major in its field or something akin to it, but if not, I think you can really take most majors a lot of different places. I say this, so you don’t have to stress over finding the “perfect” major. Results have a lot to do with your attitude and how much work you put into it.
Because most majors have a well-known direct career path associated with it, I think that’s all students think about when they’re picking their major. Biology is for doctors, chemistry for pharmacists, psychology for counselors, English for writers, and journalism for reporters. This may be a very obvious untrue fact, but it’s easy to take that perspective and shrink the available possibilities that you can go to from a major.
I don’t have a list for you today. I only have one takeaway that I want you to really consider. Finding your “why” for studying and your “why” for a potential major will really make all the difference. This will bleed into your performance, because I think that the students who really believe in what they’re doing have a leg up on the rest. There’s a motivation and adrenaline that’s so innate that even when school seems to be their enemy, they can still bounce back and remember their purpose. This isn’t something you can find or decide in a day. But knowing who you are, what you want, and what drives you will make your major powerful. Alone it’s just a more focused general education that can give you a talking point with employers or graduate school interviewers. Know that there isn’t a single right answer and don’t worry about your major deciding your career and life, because it won’t.
“It's not about making the right choice. It's about making a choice and making it right.” -J.R. Rim, Better to be able to love than to be loveable