It can be scary to go to college and choose your major. This is a big decision that could potentially impact the rest of your life. What if you make the wrong decision?
You don’t have to make the decision all alone. Some people can help guide you along your way.
Talk to these five people before you make your decision, and you might find that by the end of your discussions, you feel much more relaxed about your plans.
1. Your School Counselor
This position as a school counselor is meant to help you with your future plans. It only makes sense that they would be one of the first people you talk to about attending college and choosing a major.
They will be prepared with information and experiences to help you figure out the best career path for you.
They can help you not only get the latest information on the current job market and what will be in demand, but they also know what questions to ask students to get them thinking about their strengths and their likes.
One trip to your school counselor’s office can be a big eye-opener for anyone looking to find some help making decisions about what lies ahead after high school.
2. Yourself
It might sound funny to talk to yourself about your future, but unfortunately, many people fail to take into full consideration the hopes and needs that they have instead of focusing on what they think they should want.
As a young adult, you may be struggling to figure out who you want to become. When you were younger, the path was clearly paved for you, and you knew exactly what was expected.
Now you have to clear the path yourself, and you might be scared of taking the wrong one. That’s completely normal, but luckily, you can do a little digging first before making a permanent decision.
Self-assessment tests, personality tests, and career skill quizzes can be genuinely enlightening for a young person to narrow down their best possible course of action.
You should take the information you discover from asking yourself these quizzes, such as the 16personalities Test, Career Explorer, and this easy Test Color, and write a list of career possibilities.
Next, try to get this list down to three of your top career paths that meet the qualifications that you want in a career. Look deeper into those three careers and what colleges offer degrees that allow you to pursue them.
3. People Living Your Career Possibilities
Now that you’ve narrowed your list to three career possibilities, it’s time to interview or study those who have chosen these careers. Find some in your area, or possibly even in your own family who are living this life.
Ask them as many questions as you can. See if it’s possible to follow them for a day.
4. Online Learning Platforms
If you can’t find anyone willing to talk to you, try out a few online classes that deal with this industry before you enroll in college.
There are plenty of online learning platforms geared toward a specific field. Using these platforms to get your feet wet in specific industries can help you learn more about the possibilities in that industry and whether it is a good fit for you before you make a lifelong decision.
If you decide that you have found your career, you can continue to use these online platforms to get a jumpstart on learning professional skills.
5. College Counselors
By this time, you should have a pretty good idea of what career path you want to pursue. Now you need to found the colleges that offer these majors.
Before enrolling, talk to the college counselors or admissions office. Ask questions regarding your desired major. Ask about any extra offerings or if they help with job placement at graduation.
Financial aid, housing possibilities, and location will all come into play in your final decision.
Conclusion
There you have it. Making these big decisions doesn’t have to be so scary. All it takes is a little bit of discussion, some self-reflection, and some more in-depth research to help you find the right career and college.
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