One of the most challenging decisions that you have to make in college is choosing your major. With several different majors, concentrations, and minors that you can choose from, you can make your degree the perfect fit for you.
It’s stressful when you’re trying to declare your major because it’s important to most to try to graduate on time. A student at Monmouth can stay undeclared until their sophomore year, or when they complete 56 credits.
Monmouth has an office of undeclared services to help students who have not yet decided their major. They offer career planning guides and workshops that help students decide on a major and they are advised through the Center for Student Success.
Friends and family try to help, but sometimes their direction can lead you the wrong way. Those who care about you are usually trying to be helpful, but they may advise you to choose a major based on the average salary a person who graduates with that major makes.
A good salary is important, but not as important as doing something you care about. If you’re more worried about a high-paying job than doing something that you enjoy, it can make your college career more difficult.
Your major should also be based on what you’re interested in, not what your friends are interested in. It’s great to have friends in your classes, but not at the expense of your education. Even if you don’t know anyone who has the same major as you, making friends and getting to know people won’t be difficult because you have a similar area of interest.
There are also myths that some majors are harder than others, but when you think about, we all take the same general education classes. The only differences we have are when it comes to our major requirements.
Although it might seem like you have much more work than people in different majors, we’re all working towards different degrees, so the work is different. There’s no reason that some majors should be undermined because some of the work just seems easier.
Even if you’ve selected a major and you realize that it’s not something you’re really passionate about, there’s always the option to change your major. Even if that means you have to take courses over the summer, or stay an extra semester, majoring in something you enjoy is important.
You also have the option to pick up minors. These are more specific and usually help add a significant touch to your résumé when you’re looking for a job in the future. A minor will help give you the extra push when you’re looking to do something specific.
Students have the option to choose a major or several majors and also to pick up several minors. The minors can be related to your major, or just something that holds your interest.
Choosing a major can be difficult, but it’s important to pick something that you’re really interested in. If you’re doing something that interests you and that you love, it’s more likely that you’ll enjoy whatever you wind up doing in the future. Your college major should be something that you choose because you are passionate about it. It’s one of the first real steps to becoming and adult and planning for your future in your college career and beyond.
