Choosing a Major

Pursing a Path to Success

It is a constant question: "What's your major?" The only thing more predictable than hearing that question once you announce you are going to college is the follow-up: "What kind of job will that get you?" These are lovely conversation points - if you know the answers to them. However, the vast majority of college students have some doubts, even after they have declared a major, and the whole process is anxiety producing for everyone, except for those elite few who were fortunate enough to know with utter clarity that they were destined to become a doctor from the time they could speak. Lucky for them, but the rest of the world is uncertain about what they want to be when they grow up. They are left to try and choose a major that will lead to a fulfilling career - no small order.

Fortunately, distance learning opportunities are vast and varied, and there is an online program out there to meet virtually any need or preference. Some online college students feel like they are under a great deal of pressure to declare a major, sometimes because every class is costing money that they don't want to "waste" on a direction they won't ultimately pursue, or because of what someone else wants them to do. The process of deciding on a major has even been described as an agonizing one for some, but it does not have to be that way.

Your personal interests, values and skills should be the driving forces behind this decision. Almost everyone has had to take an employment interest assessment at some point, and been left with the feeling that their choices were not necessarily definite, and the results perhaps not reliable. Someone who honestly answers that they prefer the great outdoors to a stuffy office, may not necessarily be happy as a forest ranger. However, aptitude or interest surveys may be helpful in getting you to think about the variables that affect job satisfaction. Here are some thoughts that you can use as guides to finding your educational and career path:

• Your personality type should match the characteristics of your work.
• Gain experience. Internships, volunteering and part-time jobs are all career research experiences.
• Play to your skills and abilities. Do what you do best.
• Consider the balance between physical demands and intellectual demands that suits your preferences.
• Consider the balance of security versus creativity found in different careers, and determine what levels you are comfortable with.
• Consider your values. What kind of lifestyle do you want, and what level of salary will you need to maintain that lifestyle? Ask yourself, would you rather have a job that you love with low pay, or a job you can tolerate that comes with a big paycheck?
• Fast-track or slower-paced? What trade-offs are you willing to make between attention to work and personal relationships and family?

Regardless of what subject you choose to major in, you will be in training to learn critical thinking skills, problem solving, writing, communication and organization. All these are skills that will give you broad options in employment. Remember that your major does not have to lock you in to one path, and often professionals change directions in subtle and significant ways throughout their lives. Not all majors are directly connected to a specific type of employment, and nearly all majors will prepare you to be able to work in a variety of areas. Remember that you can always change your major if that is best for your future, and online degree programs are some of the most flexible that you can find.