Three Mistakes to Avoid when Choosing a College Major

Parents and teachers always talk about the importance of education and how going to college is critical to future success. While people may define “success” differently, I think we all hope for a job we enjoy and that pays well enough to support ourselves and our families.

I was the valedictorian of my high school class with a perfect 4.0 GPA, and I received a full-ride scholarship to the university I chose. But here I am, almost 34 years old, with both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, yet I can’t find a “real” job (what I call a full-time position with benefits such as health insurance). So, where did I go wrong, and how can you learn from my mistakes?

Don’t choose a major just because you enjoy the subject

I started my college career in a top-ranked architecture program, but I soon switched to graphic design. Two years later, I changed majors again, settling on linguistics. I found the science of how languages work fascinating, and I thoroughly enjoyed all of my coursework in linguistics.

Unfortunately, I never thought to ask what kinds of jobs I might find in my field, and as it turned out, there really weren’t any. When people talk about how important it is to have a college degree, they often fail to mention that not all degrees are created equal, that not all programs of study prepare you to enter the workforce with marketable skills. Many of my friends faced the same problem after graduating in English, communication, or history.

My advice is this: figure out the type of career you’d like to have one day rather than thinking only about the classes you’d enjoy taking in college. Go through a book like “What Color Is Your Parachute?” or peruse the Occupational Outlook Handbook put together by the U.S. Department of Labor to learn more about the careers you’re interested in. Then find people in those fields and spend some time with them. Observe their work environment and responsibilities, and ask lots of questions. This will help you choose the most useful major for your desired career path.

Don’t lose sight of your long-term plans

When I realized that my bachelor’s degree wasn’t going to be of much use, I decided to go back to school. I enrolled in a master’s program for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), which I completed while living in China and teaching at a university there. The classes, texts, and assignments were relevant and immediately applicable to my job as a teacher, and I was thrilled to be gaining real-world, practical knowledge that would help me in both the present and the future.

But alas, when I returned to the United States, I still could not find a full-time job in my field. I had a good education, valuable skills, and two years of experience, but there just weren’t any positions in the Midwestern city where I lived. I could have moved pretty much anywhere overseas and found a good teaching job, and I probably could have made a decent living somewhere like California, but that’s not where I wanted to be.

So, as you’re imagining the kind of job you’d like, take time to picture other aspects of your future life as well. For example, a high-tech career might not be feasible if you want to live in the country or a remote mountain region, you might want to avoid a job with late nights or long hours if having time for family is important to you, and you might want to work toward landing a position with an international company if travel is high on your priority list. Basically, there’s more to life than work, so make sure the career path you choose to follow will allow you to achieve all of your dreams.

Don’t be afraid to change your mind, but try to do it early

I changed majors twice as an undergraduate, but it was easy then. In fact, I was still able to finish earlier than I’d originally planned since architecture was a six-year program and the others were shorter. Changing fields and going back for my master’s degree was a bit more complicated, but that’s not at all uncommon and often even expected of recent grads.

Now, however, as I consider my educational and career choices to date and dream of change, I’m forced to face the fact that I may need to start all over. But I’m not sure how another three- or four-year course of study would fit into my current life situation… I have more financial obligations now, so I don’t know where the tuition money would come from, and I should really be starting a family–not a new career–at this stage of my life!

If you’re just getting started in school or making plans to enter college next year, let me reassure you: it’s okay if you don’t know exactly what you want to do yet. Take your time to explore different options, try a variety of classes, and talk to your professors and the upperclassmen you meet. Unless you’re in a highly specialized field like nursing or engineering, most of the general education courses you take for one major will translate seamlessly to another if you change your mind later. But make sure you settle on a path fairly early on in order to avoid wasting a lot more time and money later.


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