In College? 5 Ways How to Determine What Course of Study is Best for You

Written by  //  2014/05/30  //  Academics  //  Comments Off on In College? 5 Ways How to Determine What Course of Study is Best for You

It isn’t easy to choose a major. In fact, it’s so difficult that 50 percent of college students will change it at least once, and the majority will switch multiple times before they graduate. So how can you buck the trend? How can you find something you love and stay in the field through college and beyond? Here are five tips for deciding what course of study is right for you.

1: Know Your Skills

You might be surprised to learn how many people struggle along in their majors even without an aptitude for them. They blame all their Cs and Ds on bad teachers or unfair tests without acknowledging that they simply don’t have a head for the subject. Don’t make this mistake with your own field of study: If you can’t pass a class in it, you won’t know how to handle it in the real world, either. You may also want to choose something that is actually going to help you in the workforce. These fields tend to be things like business, accounting, education, nursing etc. Majoring in a field like these will help you better find a job using the skills you learned in college after you graduate. If you plan on majoring in a field like philosophy will get you nowhere on its own. If you are studying a field like that, make sure you are considering going onto graduate school after you finish your undergraduate degree.

2: Look At Your Future Curriculum

If you love astrology but hate math, you should know sooner rather than later that your senior year will be full of advanced calculus and physics courses. The same goes for subjects like archeology. The intro class was fun, but are you interested enough to brave "Soil Morphology and Genesis" too?

3: Get Extracurricular

Explore your intended career path outside of the world of academics. Seek an internship with a local company; join workshops and work-study programs; find a mentor and ask them about their day-to-day lives in the field. If you still enjoy the subject after a hands-on taste of it, it’s a good indication that you’ve found something you really love.

4: Plan Your Path

If you’re aiming for a career in the healthcare industry, you might need everything from undergraduate studies to four years of medical school. If you want to become a physicist, you’ll need a PhD in your chosen specialty before anyone even thinks of hiring you. Know these things in advance before committing yourself to a career trajectory.

5: Test Your Commitment

Cheat on your major with a few interesting classes in different disciplines. Are they more intriguing or challenging than your intended career path? Do you feel any great temptation to switch? If the answer is no, you can be sure that you’ve found the right focus area for you.

You aren’t alone in being undecided about your major. If you use these tips, however, you should find it easier to figure out where your passion really lies and what study areas can turn into a success.

My name is Lizzie Weakley and I am a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. I went to college at The Ohio State University where I studied communications. I enjoy the outdoors and long walks in the park with my 3-year-old husky Snowball.

Comments are closed.