Keep Your Options Open: Six Things to Consider Before Committing to a Major

By Anita Ginsburg

In today’s world, it pays to choose a major that will be beneficial to you in terms of personal enjoyment, as well as career advancement. While deciding on what major to pursue can be difficult, the right choice for you can get you a rewarding career and necessary knowledge and experience for success.

Know Your Interests

First and foremost, pick something you’re interested in. Remember that the major you pick is ultimately leading you toward one of your life’s goals, and that is an interesting, enjoyable, and rewarding career. If you enjoy your math homework the best, consider a degree in engineering or accounting. If you love to read and learn about history, an online master’s degree in military history might be a good fit.

Finances

Another important factor to consider is the financial aspect of things. Pell grants are popular and typically cover at least one to two semesters of tuition and certain supplies. Other grant options may be available, depending on the state you live in. Another option is a student loan. A college admissions or financial adviser will be able to answer any questions you may have regarding the financial aspect of college.

Working Students

If you’re a working adult, you may discover that your employer actually encourages continuing education and will help with all or part of the cost of college tuition. The only way to find out is to ask. However, you’ll need to find a way to fit your college schedule around your work schedule. With the advent of online schools, doing this isn’t quite as difficult as it once was. Since the majority of colleges offer online courses, you may be able to earn your degree without ever having to set foot on campus except for required course and placement testing.

Online and Traditional Classes

Decide whether you want to attend a local, out-of-state, or online university. This is yet another decision that must be made when it comes to deciding on which college major you want to pursue. Taking classes online can help working students. However, be warned that some online universities place limitations on how many courses you’re allowed to take at a time, which can possibly increase the time it takes for you to earn your degree. Some majors are easier to take classes online, and some it be more difficult, so it’s important to consider this before choosing a major.

Accredited College

Make sure that the college you choose is accredited. While this may seem like a given, some online universities have come under fire for not having the proper accreditation. The last thing you want to do is spend vast amounts of your money and time on a school that will ultimately be unable to issue a legitimate degree.

Take a Class

And finally, before you definitely decide on a major, take a class in the field of study that you are considering. Demonstrate to yourself that you can do well in that type of class and make sure it is something that will maintain your interest over the years.

It’s important to know your options when choosing schools and degrees. You should be able to enjoy school and your classes, so pick a degree that reflects your interests. You should also choose a degree that makes financial sense and opens up a world of new opportunities and careers.

1 Comment

Add a Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Time limit is exhausted. Please reload CAPTCHA.