College Edition: 5 Mistakes Students Make When Choosing a Major

What should I major in? A question every college student has pondered at some point or another.

Between the transition of school and life, college is no doubt an exciting time. You’ve entered into a whole new world of independence, you’re in the first phase of “official adulthood”, and let’s face it – you’ve got some pretty big decisions to make. And, picking your major for college, just might be one of those.

Before picking a major, you’ll want to take some time to think about what exactly you want, and what all of your options are. Start by asking yourself a few general questions (and yes, write your answers down!).

• Passion:
  • Do: What do I like doing?
  • Love: What do I love learning?
  • Learn: What do I want to learn more about?
• Skills
  • What am I good at doing?
  • What do I need to work on?
• Education
  • Why am I in college?
  • What do I want to use my college degree for? 
• Employment
  • What fields are employable?
  • What is the job market looking like right now?

Taking some time to stop and think will help you figure out exactly what you’re looking to get out of your 4 years in university or college. The process takes time, so don’t rush it! But most importantly, make sure you pick a major that’s right for you.

If you’re struggling with deciding on what to major in, we’re here to help. Here are 5 common mistakes students make when picking their major in college, and how you can avoid these mishaps!

What Should I Major In? 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing Your College Major

1. Following the crowd

Choosing a major just because all your friends are picking it, is something you’ll want to steer away from.

As comfortable as it may be to pick the same major as your BFF so you have all your classes together, it’s not going to help you in the grand scheme of things. College is a time for you to try out new things and push yourself out of your comfort zone. That might mean making a whole new group of friends in the program or major you’re choosing. 

You and your friends may be similar, but you’re still different from each other. Chances of you all picking a major you love and want to pursue in the long term is slim. Your friends’ reasons for picking their majors in college will be different than yours (and should be!). Avoid getting influenced by your group of friends and pick a major that’s right for you. 

2. Getting pressured

This is a tough one, and likely something many students and young adults have experienced. If you’ve been feeling a little less of what should I major in? And more of, what do I have to major in? You might be feeling this.

Pressure from authoritative figures or parents can often play a role in determining your major. It is so important to make sure you choose a major that you want, based on: (1) what you’re capable of doing, (2) what you want to be doing, and (3) what aligns to your future career goals / skills you need to build.

There’s a bit of a toss up between what you’re capable of doing and what you want to be doing, and here’s a great example of how:

If you’re someone that loves the creative and logic side — and you’re good at both, you might be struggling on where to focus. For example, let’s say you’re torn between going into something like accounting versus fashion design. You enjoy both, you’re good at both, but a small part of you is learning towards fashion because you love it on a different level, but you feel a ton of pressure from your parents to go into accounting. There are a few ways to go at it.

Example – Option 1

The first, is what we call the short term sacrifice for the long term game. Meaning, doing something you may not love as much in the short term, may actually benefit you in the long term. Here’s how. If you decide to take a major like accounting, you’ll build core skills with you that are transferable into any field or job, that you’ll carry with you for the rest of your career or professional life. So let’s say your end goal is to launch a fashion design company. Majoring in accounting can actually relate directly to that. Every entrepreneur should know some basic info about running their own books, and if you have a background in accounting, you’ll already be ahead of the curve. Perhaps you’ll spend a few years working at an accounting firm and getting a designation, while working on a side hustle in fashion design. 

Pros: 

• Learn transferable skills
• Build up a few years of professional work experience
• Gives you an opportunity to work in fashion design as a side hustle before taking it full time
• Equips you with skills you can apply to your side hustle
• Allows you to make a decent income in the process to help pay down any debt or student loans 
• If you decide to come back to accounting in the future, you have the experience and designation to return

Cons:

• You’re not spending your time doing what you truly love
• You may get bored with accounting pretty quickly if your heart is in something else

Example – Option 2

Another option, could be to take the plunge and go straight into fashion design. This example may not relate to all situations, but fashion design specifically is a tough industry to break into, so you’re likely looking at a few years minimum of hustle and grind until you start to reap the benefits. 

Pros:

• You’re not distracted by anything else, and you’re spending 100% of your professional life on a career that you want to pursue
• You’ll enter the industry young, giving you lots of time to build up your credibility

Cons:

• Requires more hustle and grind (assuming you’re working for yourself, if you’re interning for a fashion design label it may be a bit better)
• Transitioning back into accounting would require you to go back to school
• May not bring in the income you need to cover your student loans and debt

There’s no right answer, and the truth is, you can steer your life in any direction you want to regardless of your degree. The key is not to get pressured by others when you are clear on what you want to be pursuing. Create a rough blueprint on where you plan on taking things and how. You need to choose what works for you by looking at all aspects of your life in the short-term and the long-term. Which brings us to our next point…

3. Looking at the short term only

As much as you want to follow your passion and learn what you love, you’ll want to keep a long term lens on where you plan on taking your college education as well. You won’t know all the answers (and you don’t have to!) but giving some thought or consideration to the long term is important. Your college education is 4 years of your life, and you spend a lot of time (and money) on it. Be sure to be as strategic as you can be when choosing a major for the long term. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Do I want to take a post-grad or Master’s degree at some point? If so, what would be needed as a pre-req?
• Is the major I’m looking into a long-term need / evergreen? Or can I foresee it being phased out in the future?
• What do I want to be doing after graduation? In 5 years? In 10 years? Will this major help me get there?
• What do I picture my life to be like once I’ve graduated? Will the career options that come with this degree support that?
• Am I in college with hopes to land a job after? Or, am I using college as a source for education only, and I’m looking to do my own thing after college?

4. Not researching

Researching your major, is pretty major (pun definitely intended). Before specializing, make sure you’ve done enough research and due diligence to understand the field that you want to specialize in. Here’s exactly how you can do that:

Step 1: Do a general search

Start by spending time online or reading books on your major.

• Background: what exactly does the major involve?
• Employment: what types of jobs can this major help you lead to?
• Skills: what types of skills will you be learning?
• Passion: what things sound interesting? What things don’t? Why?

Next, research the specifics of the program at your school. 

• What would be included in the curriculum?
• What types of courses would you be required to take?
• Are there electives you can take?
• What’s the course load like?
• Is there group work required?
• Does it seem interesting to you?

Step 2: Meet with a senior student majoring in that topic

Talking to another student who’s currently majoring in the topic you’re considering, is a great way to get intel on what that experience is going to be like. It’s one thing to read up on a few things, but to live it is totally different! Use this time to ask any other questions you have about the major, and any suggestions or advice that student would have. Blatantly asking them, what should I major in, isn’t going to cut it – so be prepared to ask specific questions about their experience. 

Step 3: Book a coffee chat with someone working in the field 

Another great way to get more “future insight” is to book a coffee chat with someone working in the field / major that you’re considering. If you have a connection you can tap into, start there. If not, don’t be afraid to cold call! You can find connections through LinkedIn or Bumble Bizz. And a lot of times, your College / University will actually be open to hooking you up with your alma matter as well! Take advantage of those networks and resources and learn as much as you can about what life after graduation looks like. This includes: job opportunities, job market growth, skills valued, research opportunities and more. 

If you’re considering a few different majors, you’ll repeat this process a few times and meet with a number of people so you can confidently land on one knowing what you now know.

5. Not considering the education and skill building component of college

Parties. Campus. Dorm life. No doubt, those are some really fun parts of college life. But, er – let’s not forget why we’re at college in the first place: to learn.

Though getting caught up in sorority life in college may lead to a few less nights in the library, be sure to keep your eye on the prize. The last thing you want to do is choose a major “just to get by” so you can better balance your social life. Be sure to prioritize your major – because it is a part of your future, afterall. Plus, you’re paying a ton for that sheet of paper [diploma] once you graduate, so picking a major that’ll help you out in the long run, is key.

Choose a major where you’ll be able to build a strong set of skills as you enter the workforce. Maybe that’s choosing fashion design and involves you getting into the intricacies of sewing, textiles, and patterns, with hopes of one day starting your own fashion line. Or, maybe that’s choosing Accounting, so you can build strong knowledge and core skills on taxation, the accounting system, and more – setting you up with a great opportunity to work for one of the big 4 accounting firms one day.

Whatever your carer goal is for coming out of college, be sure to choose a major where you’re building a base of knowledge and strong skills that you can use as either a gateway to an entry level job in a field of your choice once you graduate, or a stepping stone to your next chapter in life or post graduate studies.

(P.S. Once you do graduate and start that new job, be sure to check out our ultimate guide on how to survive your first real job as a new grad!)

Final thoughts: what should I major in?

If you’re feeling stressed or pressure on what major to choose, take it one step at a time. College can be stressful, and of course picking a major can be overwhelming. But, before you begin the process, keep a few things in mind:

• Though college is an important part of your education and entry level job, your diploma alone will not define your entire future. What that means is that you have the ability to put in what you want out of it. 
• Don’t fear pigeon-holing yourself. Think of your college education as a stepping stone into the real world. As you gain more experience working, you’ll have options to pivot, re-position yourself, potentially go back to school, or more! Options are endless. I’ve seen people in my career who came out of school with a Biology degree, and ended up leading a Taxation team in Corporate Finance. There’s no one linear path to define your career and life, so ease the tension by remembering that whatever you want to make happen in this life, you can.

So, all that being said, go out there and make the most of your college life! Learn, absorb, and love what you’re learning. You got this.