Many students aspiring to pursue higher education after high school often feel as though they need to determine their college major before graduation. While it’s true that being this level of prepared can help, it can be challenging for any high school senior to feel confident enough with their limited real-world knowledge and experience to make this decision so hastily. Throughout this post, some of the most popular college majors and how students can leverage them to acquire a job in the future will be detailed.
Just What Major Is Right For You?
Many aspiring higher education students would likely be surprised by the number of degree programs that are offered by colleges and universities. Part of the shock comes from the fact that most students when selecting their major pick between six of the most popular programs offered by nearly every college and university.
Business
Majoring in any discipline within the business world can be extremely lucrative. The degrees give graduates the ability to work in a number of different industries with some rather unique jobs as well. These students are typically known to be leaders with strong communication skills, capable of enabling a business in such a way that it operates more effectively.
Healthcare
The world will always need more experienced and qualified healthcare professionals. As more and more students flood into college with a passion for health and wellness, this major program is expected to continue to shape future nurses, healthcare administrators, healthcare managers, sports managers and trainers and the like.
Liberal Arts and Humanities
Many students will land within this major if they have a passion for any form of history, communications, or even psychology. Though it’s outside of the traditional ‘business’ perspective, many graduates within these degree programs end up in jobs like business marketing, sales, and communications as a result of their work in college.
Engineering
More and more students are approaching the engineering discipline as well. This major includes many sub-categories that allow a student to pursue what truly interests them. For example, a woodworker might be most interested in pursuing a degree in civil engineering as opposed to nuclear engineering. There’s a subcategory for everyone, though.
Education
A number of college students will approach their higher education experience with the intent of learning how to teach others. Majoring in education is what helps these students align their passion with their careers. A degree in education typically nets a job as a teacher in primary school, but many students with intense passion work toward becoming a college professor themselves.
Computer Science
With the world’s reliance on computers and related technology continuing to grow, there need to be more and more people who not only understand this technology but are capable of moving the needle forward. These are the students who major in computer science. Students within this major program will learn different programming languages, how they relate to operating systems and ways to interpret different data structures.
Guidance For The Selection Process
Prior to deciding which major is best for you, you’ll want to consider a few things and how they possibly relate to the area of study in which you want to devote four years of your life to. Here’s a few of those things:
- How do your interests and goals align with the college major of your choosing?
- Do your passions, skills and aptitude also match this college major?
- Are the degree programs known to have a high percentage of projected employment?
- Will these instances of projected employment net you the potential earnings you’re looking for?
- Have you met the requirements for the program you’re interested in?
- When you seek advice from school advisors or mentors, do they think you’re a good fit for the major?
While the questions above can certainly help you guide your way through the decision process more effectively, most of the decision is going to be entirely personal. Doing the research and following your intuition is likely the best way to handle selecting a college major. Always remember, it isn’t set in stone and you’re more than capable of switching your major and pursuing a different field of study if that’s what you decide on in the future. For more information on how you can go about selecting the right major program for you, be sure to visit EncourageMe to download the app and utilize their resources.
